Shutting down our public encrypted DNS
Mullvad VPN is shutting down its public encrypted DNS servers and migrating users to the Quad9 Foundation. The company cites the specialized nature of privacy-focused DNS as the reason for consolidating resources.
Why it matters
This move represents a shift in the privacy-tech landscape, highlighting the trend of smaller providers offloading specialized infrastructure to dedicated non-profit organizations.
Mullvad has operated public encrypted DNS (DoH) servers since 2022. They are unnecessary when using Mullvad VPN - traffic is already encrypted and Mullvad VPN's internal DNS handles all queries.
Outside the VPN, they serve two purposes:
We want a public service to be available. Going forward, we will support Quad9 instead of running it ourselves. Running a privacy-focused public DNS service is a highly specialized undertaking, and the Quad9 Foundation is the undisputed leader in the field. Rather than duplicating their efforts to achieve only part of what they do, we're putting those resources toward financially supporting Quad9 instead.
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