Obscura VPN: The first VPN that can't log your activity
Obscura: The first VPN that can't log your activity
Obscura is a new VPN that claims it cannot log your activity by design. It uses a two-party protocol: Obscura's relay servers never see your traffic, and exit servers run by Mullvad never see your identity. You sign up with a random account number, pay with Bitcoin Lightning or Monero, and get strong censorship resistance. Available on macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux.
It’s simple: We can’t leak what we don’t have.
- barathr
As others have pointed out, this is like Apple iCloud Private Relay, and other multi-hop privacy systems that have been built on and off over the last several decades (Tor included).
We wrote a research paper on the general principle a few years ago: https://conferences.sigcomm.org/hotnets/2022/papers/hotnets2...
- maxloh
I don't understand the point of this.
Many (if not all) of the benefits on the landing page are available in Mullvad too, which is a more mature and reputable product, has all clients fully open-source, and powers the exit servers for Obscura.
Why should I choose this over Mullvad?
- john_strinlai
i am very skeptical of most vpn companies, and while i haven't looked too hard at obscura, it is worth noting the official partnership with mullvad (https://mullvad.net/en/blog/mullvad-partnered-with-obscura-v...) which is certainly a positive signal
side note: i really wish more companies did the no email + randomized account number flow. there is a certain popular "pro-privacy" product beloved by many here that requires an email address and refuses to offer a similar account number method, which has turned me off the product.
- skaul
So two hops, basically. First hop sees your IP address but not the website you're going to, second hop sees website but not IP address. Similar to Private Relay: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102602.
- wahern
> the first VPN that can’t log your activity
and outsmarts internet censorship.
I guess they never heard of Zero Knowledge Systems: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Knowledge_Systems