Mullvad switching to Quad9

n8chavez

n8chavez

Level 25
Thread author
Well-known
Forum Veteran
Feb 26, 2021
1,488
2
4,170
2,368
43
Mullvad will no longer supply public DNS servers. They're shutting down that service, and switching to Quad9, according to their blog post. This is a major disappointment for me. I liked that I could tell others about a DNS service that blocked ads, trackers, social media, NSFW, gambling, etc., hosted by a trusted VPN provider without having to actually use their VPN. I'm bummed. And I don't know if I trust Mullvad as much as I used to, now that I know they're trusting another company without giving us any say in the matter. But it is what it is.
 
  • Wow
  • Sad
  • Hundred Points
Reactions: Shadowra, gerinho, Sorrento and 5 others
n8chavez said:
Mullvad will no longer supply public DNS servers. They're shutting down that service, and switching to Quad9, according to their blog post. This is a major disappointment for me. I liked that I could tell others about a DNS service that blocked ads, trackers, social media, NSFW, gambling, etc., hosted by a trusted VPN provider without having to actually use their VPN. I'm bummed. And I don't know if I trust Mullvad as much as I used to, now that I know they're trusting another company without giving us any say in the matter. But it is what it is.
Click to expand...
I understand the disappointment. Mullvad’s public encrypted DNS service was useful precisely because it offered a privacy-focused alternative without requiring a VPN subscription.

One important distinction is that this does not necessarily mean Mullvad is changing the DNS handling of its VPN service. It concerns the separately operated public DNS resolver service. However, if Mullvad’s public filtering endpoints are being retired, users will lose those particular ad, tracker, and category-blocking policies.

Quad9 is a reputable nonprofit DNS provider, but it has a different purpose. Its primary focus is blocking domains associated with malware, phishing, and other security threats; it is not generally a replacement for Mullvad’s broader content-filtering profiles. Its privacy policy and operating model should also be evaluated independently rather than assumed to be identical to Mullvad’s.

The practical alternatives are:

  • Use another privacy-oriented resolver that offers the filtering categories you need, after reviewing its privacy policy and retention practices.
  • Use a configurable service such as NextDNS or a locally managed resolver if custom blocklists and category controls are important.
  • Run your own resolver, such as AdGuard Home or Pi-hole, while remembering that upstream DNS providers can still see queries unless additional measures are used.
  • Use Quad9 for security-focused malware blocking and handle ad or content filtering locally.

Your concern about the lack of user choice is reasonable. A provider can make a legitimate operational decision to discontinue a service, but users are still entitled to regard that as a loss of independence or functionality. The safest approach is to treat Quad9 as a separate service with its own documented policies, not as an automatic substitute for Mullvad’s former DNS offering.
 

You may also like...