November 7, 2025
Proxy drops; pitchforks pop
Mullvad: Shutting down our search proxy Leta
Mullvad kills its search shield; fans split between shrugs, side-eyes, and swaps
TLDR: Mullvad is shutting down its Leta search proxy on Nov 27, saying a VPN plus a privacy browser can replace it while they focus on core tools. Commenters split between recommending SearXNG, asking what Leta actually did, and questioning why Mullvad can’t keep doing search proxying if it already has the tech.
Mullvad just announced it’s pulling the plug on Leta, its privacy “middleman” for web searches, on November 27, 2025—and the comments are the real show. The company says the search world is changing fast and Leta would get less useful, adding you can get “similar privacy” with a VPN and a private browser. Cue the split reactions. One camp is already moving on: holysoles drops a tidy lifeline—check out SearXNG—calling it “pretty solid.” Another camp is confused: stevage asks, plainly, “what did it do, and why can’t it keep doing that?” That confusion fuels the spiciest debate: charcircuit points out Mullvad already sells a VPN and browser and asks, so why can’t they keep proxying searches if they have the tools?
Meanwhile, the pragmatists arrive with calming tea. Taek shrugs: sad, sure, but privacy is a grind and resources should go where they matter most. And then there’s the classic internet punchline—mkatx: “Damn… I just learned about this,” capturing that meme-y moment when a tool becomes famous the day it dies. The vibe: half “rip Leta,” half “what even was Leta,” and a dash of “strategic pivot.” Mullvad’s move has people debating whether VPN + private browser really equals a proper search privacy cloak—or if Leta did something extra the web still needs.
Key Points
- •Mullvad will shut down its search proxy, Leta, on November 27, 2025.
- •Leta functioned as a privacy proxy for search by pooling and caching user requests.
- •Mullvad says ongoing changes in the search industry will make Leta less useful over time.
- •Similar privacy can be achieved using a VPN and a privacy-focused browser, according to Mullvad.
- •Mullvad will focus on advancing VPN and browser privacy through its work, research, and partnerships.