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WhatsApp Officially Recommends One of Our Favorite VPNs

Can we say now that we’re an influencer who influenced Meta?

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I’m stingy with my VPN (virtual private network) recommendations. Many, maybe most of them, are sketchy or ineffective. Lots of them—especially the free ones—are both. Mullvad VPN is one I tested extensively and researched to verify that it’s trustworthy and doesn’t track users’ activity.

Perhaps that’s why Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, among other properties) updated the section of its FAQ titled “About Connecting to WhatsApp When Your Network Isn’t Working.” It explicitly recommends Mullvad VPN and Amnezia VPN as ways to secure anonymity online and evade governments’ location-based blocking of WhatsApp.

“If you live somewhere that blocks you from using WhatsApp, use one of these VPNs to regain access.” The company doesn’t say it, but anybody can read between the lines.

I haven’t used Amnezia, so I’ll refrain from either recommending it or recommending against it. Meta’s endorsement of Amnezia puts it on the pile of services I plan to review. But I’m already a fan of Mullvad VPN.

“A VPN encrypts traffic from your device and is intended to mask your IP address to allow you to connect to the internet privately,” as WhatsApp explains in the post. “Using a VPN can allow you to connect to WhatsApp if it is unavailable from your current network.”

WhatsApp’s page also states, wisely, “You can learn more about how VPNs work and how to choose a safe and reliable VPN in this guide from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.” The EFF is a nonprofit focused on lobbying for digital rights, and it’s a reputable organization with good judgment.

All around, good on you, Meta, for the solid advice. We don’t say that too often.

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