Anyone (in the US) can now sign up for Firefox's new VPN beta

It's been about ten months since Mozilla introduced its own VPN service, Firefox Private Network. Six months later, Mozilla expanded the secure browser initiative to Android devices, offering a free VPN app. Today, it was announced that the new VPN will be open for beta testing nationwide, no waitlist required to get in. In a few weeks, the service will exit beta under its new name: Mozilla VPN.

The company's VPN was first offered in two tiers, a basic (and free) browser extension version, and a subscription-based app that cost $4.99 a month. The latter option provided whole-device protection, so unsurprisingly, there was a waitlist for it.

As of today's announcement, the premium option is open for public beta testing on Windows, iOS, and Android, no waiting necessary ⁠—   Mac and Linux apps are soon to follow. Starting soon, the browser version will also transition to a subscription-based plan, at $2.99 a month.

In an open letter to the public, the company shared some thoughts on how user feedback was instrumental in the growth and development of Mozilla VPN. For example, 70% of early beta testers said the VPN helped them feel safe and independent online. This speaks to one of the main selling points of the service: Mozilla's "Data Privacy Principles." The company claims that it's actively forgoing additional profits by avoiding third-party data analytics platforms and relying more on their subscription-based business model.

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