GoKawiilPick a server, any server. Firefox filled a gap this week in what has otherwise been a popular new free VPN service -- letting customers choose from among servers in different regions.
With its Firefox 151 update -- that is, the 151st version of the browser, which debuted in 2004 -- you can now select a server from any of the several countries where Firefox's owner, California-based Mozilla, has launched VPN support. The list includes the US, the UK, Canada, France and Germany. If you go with its recommended setting, Firefox will automatically choose the server closest to your location.
The most popular VPN providers have servers in many more countries around the world, including Proton VPN (145 countries), NordVPN (135), ExpressVPN (105) and Surfshark (100). In the announcement this week, Firefox said it would be adding servers in more countries.
Logging into servers in different countries is one of several reasons why people use VPNs. If, for instance, you live in the US but log into a VPN server in Germany, you can avoid geo-restrictions. Perhaps a German TV station or streaming channel only allows people living in Germany to watch, or shows something for free that costs money in the US. By joining a server in Germany, your IP address will indicate that you're there, even though you really aren't, allowing you to fool media providers into letting you watch their content.
Firefox said that more than 1 million people have signed up to use its free VPN, which launched in March. That early response shows that customers want VPN protections that are "built in and easy to use," a Mozilla spokesperson told CNET.
People can "turn on IP protection directly in the browser with a single click," the spokesperson said, adding that Mozilla's free VPN offering "doesn't rely on selling browsing data or injecting ads into traffic."
Free has its limitations
Despite the early popularity of Firefox's free VPN, CNET currently only recommends one free VPN service -- Proton VPN's free tier plan. We found that, despite Proton's limited server array, the service "doesn't restrict your monthly usage, sell your data or bombard you with ads."
Surfshark estimates that 33% of internet users worldwide use a VPN, and that half of those people use a free one. But you should be aware that free VPNs can be very risky to use. Some have weak encryption, might log your activity, collect your data or could unintentionally introduce malware, among other issues.
Read more: I Took Amnezia for a Spin. Now I See the Appeal of VPNs
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