Vivaldi Brings Proton VPN to its Web Browser

Vivaldi announced a partnership with Proton that is bringing an integrated version of Proton VPN to its desktop web browser.

“A world-class VPN, trusted by journalists, activists, and privacy die-hards alike, is now integrated natively into Vivaldi on desktop,” Vivaldi co-founder and CEO Jon von Tetzchner writes. “No extra downloads. No complicated setup. Just powerful privacy, on your terms.”

In addition to the obvious privacy messaging, Von Tetzchner is positioning this move as a push against “tech giants and monopolies,” a pro-European “imperative” that addresses “a huge increase in demand for independent, non-aligned, and values-driven solutions.” It’s a smart play. And a nice link-up between two companies that have established their pro-user, pro-privacy bona fides.

“Users are waking up,” he says. “They’re choosing privacy over profiling, sovereignty over surveillance, independence over inertia. And at the heart of this shift are tools that respect users, not exploit them.”

Vivaldi and Proton are both “proudly outside the orbit of Silicon Valley’s extractive playbook or China’s state-driven oversight,” he adds. “We don’t believe your personal data should be a bargaining chip.”

To use Proton VPN–which I do use and recommend–in Vivaldi, upgrade to the latest version of the browser on Windows, Mac, or Linux, and click the “VPN” button in the toolbar. Then, login or create a new Proton account. Then, just “flip the switch. That’s it. You’re protected.”

You can download the Vivaldi desktop browser from the Vivaldi website.