NordVPN Makes Multiple Products Open Source

NordVPN has announced the release of three of its products under an open source license. This includes the entire NordVPN Linux application, the Libtelio networking library (which is used across all NordVPN apps), and the Libdrop library, which is critical to NordVPN’s Meshnet file-sharing service. It’s a significant effort towards transparency, allowing anyone to scrutinize the code of these products or even contribute to improvements.

The announcement came on March 13th, stating that the VPN provider wanted to "open these elements up to be examined, altered, and distributed by anyone who wishes to do so."

"We're making these products open source as a sign of our commitment to transparency and accountability. We want the input and scrutiny of the coding community and to show you that we have confidence in our own software," the statement explained.

The statement also pointed out that "open-sourcing Libtelio is a particularly important step because this code forms the backbone of all our NordVPN applications, not just our Linux client". Since the underlying architecture is shared across many applications, any input on its code should benefit the service as a whole.

The release of the code coincided with NordVPN's announcement that they were making its MeshNet feature free for all users who install its software, even if they do not have a paid subscription.

NordVPN’s Meshnet allows users to create encrypted tunnels between devices, allowing you to remotely access other devices in the network with ease — even if the device in question is on the other side of the world. It simulates a LAN network, and some of its uses include the secure transfer of files and even the ability to set up a private gaming server.

NordVPN also made the Libdrop library open source, which is integral to the Meshnet file-sharing system and offers even more room for input from the coding community.

Projects for all three of the aforementioned products are now on Nord Security's GitHub page, with full instructions on how one can contribute.