Mozilla tests VPN-like Firefox Private Network for Firefox browsers - jacksonstinst

Magdalena Petrova/IDG

Firefox will be the minute browser seller to let in a free VPN inside a browser… well, of a separate, anyway.

This workweek, Mozilla announced the evolution of its "Test Pilot" political platform, where the company will trial explorative features with a small radical of customers. In this case, you must sign up for a Firefox account and opt in to the program.

The prime beta is the Firefox Private Electronic network, which the company isnot advertising as a virtual tete-a-tete network, or VPN. Mozilla promises you'll comprise fit to toggle the Private Web happening, which will provide about of the traditional features of a VPN: end-to-final stage encryption and hidden IP addresses, among others. Yet, the "VPN" affects only your Firefox browser, so any other apps you have open during that clock North Korean won't profit from encoding. For now, it's available only to desktop PCs.

Mozilla's Firefox follows the Opera browser into the market. Opera began offering a free, unlimited "VPN" months ago, halted it, and so brought it back this spring. Equal Mozilla, the "VPN" isn't so much a VPN but more of a browser proxy, funneling your traffic to an anonymous endpoint. Opera's VPN, however, is free, unlimited, and lets users select from respective endpoints both in the Americas and overseas—allowing Netflix users, for instance, to stream content non available in their area. At this point, Firefox does non offer multiple endpoints.

That may commute. In a blog Charles William Post announcing the move, Mozillla noted that "over the next several months you volition see a number of variations along our examination of the Firefox Private Network." The company also suggested the offer may not forever beryllium free. "This iterative process will give us much-needed feedback to research skillfulness and possible pricing options for the assorted online needs that the Firefox Private Mesh meets."

Mozilla didn't say if or when the Firefox Private Mesh would be made public as part of an official release.

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As PCWorld's senior editor, Mark focuses connected Microsoft news and chip engineering, among other beatniks. He has formerly graphical for PCMag, BYTE, Slashdot, eWEEK, and ReadWrite.