'We want to help' — Mullvad VPN offers server support to privacy-first GrapheneOS

• Mullvad VPN offered to sponsor servers and bandwidth to GrapheneOS
• The privacy-focused Android OS seeks 10Gbps+ European servers
• Mullvad's proposed sponsorship reflects shared anti-surveillance goals

Privacy-focused Android project GrapheneOS recently revealed that it was in need of new 10Gbps (or faster) dedicated servers in Europe to host operating system and app updates.

In a post on X, the project said its North American hosting was covered, but its European capacity had run out. What followed was a short but striking public response from Mullvad VPN: "We can sponsor you."

There hasn’t been any confirmation of a formal partnership yet, but the exchange shows a clear moment of solidarity between two privacy-first projects. In just a brief reply, Mullvad, one of the best VPN providers when it comes to anonymity, offered to help keep a well-established open-source mobile operating system running smoothly, potentially strengthening Europe’s privacy infrastructure in the process.

Why GrapheneOS needs support

GrapheneOS is a hardened, privacy-focused Android-based operating system designed for users who want stronger security and increased control over their data. Popular among security researchers, journalists, and privacy-conscious Android users, it dials back unnecessary components and adds robust protections on top of Android’s base framework.

Building a secure operating system is only one part of the challenge, however. Distributing frequent OS and app updates requires serious infrastructure. High-bandwidth dedicated servers, especially 10GBps or faster, are essential.

GrapheneOS currently has sufficient sponsored infrastructure in North America, but it has said that it no longer has dedicated capacity in Europe, with its servers currently only supporting an average of 1-2Gbps per month.

Mullvad steps in to help GrapheneOS

After being approached by TechRadar, a Mullvad spokesperson said that the proposal to sponsor GrapheneOS’s infrastructure will involve covering the cost of dedicated servers and bandwidth in Europe. However, the company stresses that the sponsorship is not yet confirmed.

"We think GrapheneOS is doing a great job of providing the community a privacy-focused OS, and we want to help organizations that are trying to make mass surveillance and censorship impractical," Mullvad told us.

The VPN provider confirmed of currently sponsoring open-source and human rights initiatives without publicizing the details, with the biggest public partnership being with the Tor Project — the creators of the popular Tor Browser.

Mullvad also ensured that the sponsorship with GrapheneOS would have no impact on its VPN users. The proposal is related to infrastructure funding only, not product integration, data sharing, or any bundled services.

At this stage, it’s a financial offer to strengthen GrapheneOS’ hosting capacity, not any form of technical merger of the two platforms.

What this means for the privacy ecosystem

Both Mullvad and GrapheneOS position themselves as tools that make mass surveillance and censorship more difficult.

Sponsoring infrastructure isn’t an eye-catching headline, but reliable servers are what keep privacy tools accessible and independent, and ultimately, what keeps them running. By offering to fund European hosting, Mullvad is effectively betting on the resilience of an open-source security project.

The exchange also drew praise from members of the privacy community. In a post on X, established cybersecurity YouTuber Sam Bent framed the move as a more meaningful privacy infrastructure built "in a single reply than Congress has produced in a decade of privacy legislation."

This offer isn’t about combining the two products in any form; it’s about servers and bandwidth. In the open-source world, independent funding can be the difference between a platform’s growth and stagnation.

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