- Windscribe has released a satirical statement mocking Mullvad’s PR crisis.
- Mullvad’s co-founder donated approximately $500,000 to Sweden’s populist Örebro party, sparking a backlash from users.
- Mullvad confirmed that the donation “is not part of Mullvad’s values or mission”
Rival providers in the best VPN market rarely miss an opportunity to capitalize on a competitor’s misstep, and the current controversy surrounding Mullvad is no exception.
In a satirical response to the recent news that a Mullvad co-founder made a massive political donation, Windscribe issued a mock apology regarding its own CEO’s financial contributions.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Mullvad VPN co-founder Daniel Berntsson donated 5 million Swedish krona (about $514,000) to the controversial populist Örebro party in Sweden. Berntsson, who stated that the donation was made personally to support the party’s anti-corruption stance, contributed a sum that represented 72% of the party’s total income last year.
The revelation forced Mullvad into damage control mode. The firm quickly clarified that private donation “is not part of Mullvad’s values or mission” and offered refunds to any users who wanted to cancel their subscriptions due to philosophical disagreements.
Seizing the moment, Windscribe posted its own tongue-in-cheek statement on social media, assuring users that it wanted to “get ahead of any potential public outcry.” The company explained that it would be hypocritical to criticize Berntsson’s financial support without revealing that Windscribe CEO Yegor Sak has also made monetary donations to organizations that support causes he believes in.
“Let’s make one thing clear: we are not here to lie,” the statement said. “Yes, our CEO has donated to a specific side, but today we want to be sincere and do things right.”
The dogs versus cats debate
Instead of endorsing a divisive political movement, Windscribe revealed that Sak, the proud owner of a corgi named Snoop, had donated personal funds to Save Our Scruff, a dog rescue in Toronto.
Anticipating that a strict pro-dog stance could “cause division within our user base,” the company quickly added that it had corrected the imbalance.
“So today we make one thing clear: we also support cats, and Yegor has personally donated to the local organization Annex Cat Rescue to support their work,” the post notes.
A statement from Windscribe regarding our CEO’s personal donations You may have heard in recent days that Mullvad co-founder and co-owner Daniel Berntsson donated ~$500,000 of his personal money to the controversial populist Örebro party in Sweden. While Mullvad… pic.twitter.com/B6ozQ1VtVBJuly 1, 2026
While Windscribe’s parody is light-hearted, it underscores a serious point about brand identity in the cybersecurity industry. VPN users are notoriously privacy-conscious and often evaluate a provider’s ethical compass as closely as their encryption protocols.
When the executives behind a VPN support controversial causes, user trust can be severely tested, regardless of the company’s official stance or its strict no-logging policies.
Windscribe concluded its post by mimicking the standard corporate PR playbook, asking users to forgive its “lack of transparency” in the favorite debate. The company emphasized that Sak’s donations are a reflection of his personal beliefs and will not affect the security or operation of the software.
“Our service and applications are not affected by these donations,” the statement concludes. “They remain secure and dedicated to providing our users with the best VPN on the market.”
