NordVPN is yet again trying to show just how cool their service is. To that end, the company is releasing three of its products under an open source license — to underscore its “commitment to transparency and community collaboration.”
Which NordVPN products will be open source?
The popular VPN provider will open source the following products:
- NordVPN application for Linux
- Libtelio, a networking library used across NordVPN apps on all operating systems
- Libdrop, a library used to share files over Meshnet
By doing this, NordVPN is making these elements up to be examined, altered, and distributed by anyone who wishes to do so.
A savvy programmer could, for instance, build on top of the NordVPN app for Linux or experiment with the code to create his/her own version.
Why is NordVPN doing this?
As noted above, NordVPN is making these products open source as a sign of its “commitment to transparency and accountability.” The company wants the input and scrutiny of the coding community and to show that it has confidence in its own software. Also, this step underlines NordVPN’s belief in collaborative progress.
Open sourcing Libtelio is particularly important because this code forms the backbone of all NordVPN applications, not just the Linux client. Putting this material into the hands of the Linux community encourages talented coders and developers to scrutinize the code and make the service even better.
Open source brings benefits to everyone
Making software open source comes with many benefits. The most important is the chance to have NordVPN’s code examined and strengthened by the community. And again, the company reminds us of its Libtelio library, which underpins all NordVPN apps.
In addition, there is Libdrop — which is a library of files integral to NordVPN’s Meshnet file-sharing system. Here too, the company sees room for creative input from the coding community. Cause, the more eyes they have on the software, the better they can make it.
Open source software is the bedrock of innovation and collaboration in the software development space, and NordVPN wants a piece of this action. If you, on the other hand, want a piece of privacy online – you should get NordVPN. The link below will take you to their best offer. 😉
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