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Ummm, it's not really a "VPN service" if it shares your IP address with websites. I mean, even high-end proxies don't do that. Edit: It's pretty clear from the

Ummm, it's not really a "VPN service" if it shares your IP address with websites. I mean, even high-end proxies don't do that. Edit: It's pretty clear from the following comment that this is not a "VPN service", as most people understand it. So Mozilla is being extremely disingenuous in calling it one. > > The intended use of the proxy service is to shield HTTP/HTTPS requests from eavesdropping by edge network providers such as public WiFi hotspots. Avoidance of geographical restrictions on content access is explicitly not a goal. > > The Mozilla extension will always make a secure request to the Cloudflare network, regardless if the request is for TLS or plaintext > (From Cloudflare's privacy notice: https://www.cloudflare.com/mozilla/firefox-private-network-privacy-notice/ https://www.cloudflare.com/mozilla/firefox-private-network-p...) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20930194 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20930194

skybrian 7y ago
On the other hand, from the Firefox announcement: "Firefox Private Network will mask your IP address providing protection from third party trackers around the web." [1] I'm guessing this means the IP address is partially masked, but there is enough info to determine the region the request comes from? Maybe someone should test this? [1] https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/09/10/firefoxs-test-pilot-program-returns-with-firefox-private-network-beta/ https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/09/10/firefoxs-test-pilot...
- mirimir 7y ago
  Good idea. But you'd need both a Firefox account, and a website that uses Cloudflare. I have neither. Still, if this remains an open question, perhaps it's interesting enough to setup a website to test. I'd probably need at least an entry-level paid Cloudflare account, though. Meanwhile, it'd be great if someone from Mozilla could clarify this. That is, does Firefox Private Network share users' IP addresses with websites? As Warp clearly does.
jedimastert 7y ago
> Edit: It's pretty clear from the following comment that this is not a "VPN service", as most people understand it. So Mozilla is being extremely disingenuous in calling it one. I couldn't find "vpn" anywhere in the article. I don't think they are calling it one.
- mirimir 7y ago
  Touché :) But they are also not being at all clear that it's not a VPN service. They say: > Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are hidden so it’s harder to track you – Your IP address is like a home address for your computer. One of the reasons why you may want to keep it hidden is to keep advertising networks from tracking your browsing history. Firefox Private Network will mask your IP address providing protection from third party trackers around the web. Sure, you get to the end of that, and you see "providing protection from third party trackers around the web". But the bullet starts with talk about keeping your IP address hidden. How many will realize that it's not hidden from websites that you visit? Not many, I think. It's a dark pattern deception.

skybrian 7y ago

On the other hand, from the Firefox announcement: "Firefox Private Network will mask your IP address providing protection from third party trackers around the web." [1] I'm guessing this means the IP address is partially masked, but there is enough info to determine the region the request comes from? Maybe someone should test this? [1] https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/09/10/firefoxs-test-pilot-program-returns-with-firefox-private-network-beta/ https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/09/10/firefoxs-test-pilot...

mirimir 7y ago
Good idea. But you'd need both a Firefox account, and a website that uses Cloudflare. I have neither. Still, if this remains an open question, perhaps it's interesting enough to setup a website to test. I'd probably need at least an entry-level paid Cloudflare account, though. Meanwhile, it'd be great if someone from Mozilla could clarify this. That is, does Firefox Private Network share users' IP addresses with websites? As Warp clearly does.

jedimastert 7y ago

> Edit: It's pretty clear from the following comment that this is not a "VPN service", as most people understand it. So Mozilla is being extremely disingenuous in calling it one. I couldn't find "vpn" anywhere in the article. I don't think they are calling it one.

mirimir 7y ago
Touché :) But they are also not being at all clear that it's not a VPN service. They say: > Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are hidden so it’s harder to track you – Your IP address is like a home address for your computer. One of the reasons why you may want to keep it hidden is to keep advertising networks from tracking your browsing history. Firefox Private Network will mask your IP address providing protection from third party trackers around the web. Sure, you get to the end of that, and you see "providing protection from third party trackers around the web". But the bullet starts with talk about keeping your IP address hidden. How many will realize that it's not hidden from websites that you visit? Not many, I think. It's a dark pattern deception.