Privacy in Action: Jon von Tetzchner, Co-Founder & CEO of the Vivaldi browser

In our interview with Jon von Tetzchner, Co-founder & CEO of Vivaldi browser, we discussed the latest updates to Vivaldi browser and the future of privacy.

A browser has the power to shape your experience of the internet, there’s no doubt about that. So we thought it would be a great idea to interview someone who knows a great deal about browsers: Jon von Tetzchner.

Jon von Tetzchner is the Co-Founder & CEO of the Vivaldi browser. He has been into browser development since 1994. He and his team are building Vivaldi that puts users’ privacy and their needs first. When he is not testing Vivaldi or reading Vivaldi forums, he enjoys collecting and playing with vintage computers and arcade games.

To follow Jon, check out his Twitter.

Interview with Jon von Tetzchner:

Startpage: One of our favorite questions to ask privacy leaders is, what does privacy mean to you?

Jon von Tetzchner: I guess in my field the question of privacy is a bit different. It is so easy to collect data, and so many companies, in particular Big Tech, have fallen for the temptation to collect all of this data and use it to build profiles on their users for marketing purposes. For me, this is literally spying.

People should be able to browse the Internet, communicate and move around without that information going into a profile of some kind. I think most people do not realize how much information can be gathered and at times is gathered. This gives those companies unique views into who we are or, sometimes, a really distorted view of who we are. This information can then be used to influence our thoughts and actions.

Startpage: In today’s world, Big Tech seems unavoidable. So, why should people care about privacy?

Jon von Tetzchner: I am convinced that if people understood the extent of the information gathering and how it is being used, they would say enough is enough, and we are seeing more and more people doing just that.

Big Tech tries to convince you that this data collection is necessary to run their services. That is not true. They also try to convince you that everyone does it, and that is not true either. Even though services require data to run better, that does not mean that that data needs to be used to build profile on users and sell access to those users. Those things are not in any way tied together. Also, most companies do not collect your data. Does your mailman read your post? Does your telco listen to your calls and put that information into profiles? Does a carpenter working in your house write down all furniture you have in your house? Of course not. We would never accept that and most companies would not even dream of doing stuff like this. Big Tech have convinced themselves that, because this stuff is there, they can have it. They then point at each other to show that they are not alone, but generally this is something very few companies do, because it is wrong.

It is hard to avoid Big Tech fully, but you can at least take steps to get away from them. Start by choosing another browser and search engine. Then, try to replace any Big Tech service that requires a login. 

Startpage: You have a longstanding background in browser development. What inspired you to start Vivaldi?

Jon von Tetzchner: Yes, I have been building browsers now for a long time. I started with Opera in 1994 and after I left Opera in 2011, I had no plans to start again. My overall thinking was that I would continue using Opera. Sadly Opera went in a very different direction. The code we wrote was trashed and the design as well. Opera had been unique, but not anymore. There was a need for a new browser

I have a different view on how to do software. I believe in putting the needs of the user first. Not an average user, based on data collection, but the different needs of different users. We all have different needs and wishes and the goal with Vivaldi is to satisfy those needs. Thus we add a lot more features than other browsers. We add features that only some users will like. We also add flexibility, so you can make Vivaldi as simple or as advanced as you like.

With increased data collection by Big Tech, I also believe there is a need for a browser that does not spy on its users and actively works to keep users safe. We are rather unique there.

Startpage: How does Vivaldi differentiate itself from competitors?

Jon von Tetzchner: Lets start with this. We as a company, we are not an ad company. We have no reason to collect data on our users; thus, we do not do that. We also strive to keep our users safe by offering a built in tracker and ad blocker. The user can decide what to block globally and site by site.

We include a lot of features that are not found in other browsers, although some features do get copied. Many of our users have a lot of tabs, so we have done a lot of work on tabs. You can decide where to place them: top, left, right or bottom, or you can hide them. We offer tab stacking to allow you to have a hierarchy of tabs, making it easier to have a lot of tabs open. We also provide tab tiling, so you can view tabs side by side.

While most browsers have a fairly limited bookmarking system, we have an extensive one. It starts with the speed dials, which show thumbnails of your favorite sites. These provide fast and visual access to your most used sites. You can set up folders and screens full of speed dials. The speed dials are a presentation of your bookmarks. You can also access bookmarks through the bookmarks manager, bookmarks panel, bookmarks bar and through the address field, using nicknames and descriptions for fast access. You might ask whether you need all of this, and most likely you do not, but when we ask users which one they prefer, you get different answers. Some like one way, others like another. We provide flexibility.

Notes is another feature unique to Vivaldi. You can select a piece of text and add it as a note, adding the text, the address and a screenshot. You can also use the notes for typing short messages and just notes, that can be synced with your Vivaldi across devices, including your Android phone.

Panels are another unique feature in Vivaldi. You have a selection of panels included for things like bookmarks, downloads, history, etc., but you can also add pages to the panel. They will then show up as mobile sites for easy access alongside your normal browsing. Great for chat, news feeds and the like, but different users use this in different ways.

There is a lot more, but overall the key is flexibility. We include more features and more options for our users. You can use the browser without using all of this, but if you need them, they are there.

Startpage: How does Vivaldi 4.0 help users break away from the locked ecosystems of Big Tech?

Jon von Tetzchner: We understand that users feel that they are locked into Big Tech. Part of that is that they offer services that you need to log into, that you may like. We are offering some important solutions that can help you get away from Big Tech.

In 4.0 we added Vivaldi Translate, a translation service developed by our partners Lingvanex. It allows you to translate pages you are viewing. We host Vivaldi Translate on our servers in Iceland. The service is private and is not used to collect user data.

We also added beta versions of Vivaldi Mail, Vivaldi Calendar and Vivaldi Feed Reader. Each of them provide you with ways to distance yourself from big tech.

Vivaldi Mail is a mail client. It can work with most mail services. Vivaldi Mail runs on your computer and helps you organize your mail. You can use it with Gmail or other Big Tech services, or you can get yourself an account at Vivaldi.net or any other service provider. 

Vivaldi Calendar is a calendar, which you can run locally, or you can make it work with online services, including those of Big Tech. It offers unique functionality not found in other calendar software. In particular, it provides the ability to view larger events with more of the text. 

Vivaldi Feed Reader allows you to subscribe to news feeds from most news organizations, blogs, podcasts and even YouTube channels. Whenever there is a new article or new content, you get a message in Vivaldi. Since there is no AI, you get what you subscribe to.

We understand that it is hard to get away from Big Tech, but there are options through Vivaldi and others that decide to do the right thing and not spy on their users.

Startpage: Vivaldi just had a big update, but what else can we expect from Vivaldi in the near future?

Jon von Tetzchner: Given that we just launched beta versions of Mail, Calendar and Feeds, clearly the focus is to finish the task. We also have some big things coming in the browser. For even more flexibility.

Startpage: Last year, Startpage and Vivaldi partnered to give users world-class search results with zero tracking. How has it impacted Vivaldi user experience?

Jon von Tetzchner: Choosing the right partners is important, and we are proud of our Startpage partnership. Clearly Startpage is a great solution for search without tracking, which is why we have it integrated into Vivaldi.

Startpage: How do you envision data privacy in the future? 1 year, 10 years, lifetime?

Jon von Tetzchner: I hope and believe that we will have learned from the mistakes of the last 10 years. Letting Big Tech run wild has not been a success. As we will look back at what happened, we will learn from our mistakes and set rules and regulations that stop companies from collecting large amounts of data on their users, profiling them and treating them as products that can be sold.

We have learned from our mistakes before, and I believe we will learn from our mistakes this time again.

Startpage: We hear you’re an avid collector of vintage computers and arcade games. What are some of your favorite items?

Jon von Tetzchner: I have had the pleasure to be using computers since about 1980. My first computer was a Sinclair ZX81 with 1kb of memory and an extra 16kb memory expansion. Over the years I have had a number of computers, including the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, The Sinclair QL, Atari ST and Amiga computers. Once I started studying computer science, I used various CPM, Unix and later Windows computers. 

When I started my little collection of computers, the goal was really to get the computers I had had, as well as computers I had wanted. I now have copies of many of these computers as well as others, such as the Enterprise, Acorn BBC, Acorn Archimedes and many more. 

Some of the most special ones are computers I have been given by Opera and Vivaldi users. I got some Russian ZX Spectrum clones and a Nintendo Famicom games machine in Russia and Japan. The thoughtfulness of these gestures touched me and make those machines particularly dear to me.

Similarly, with the arcade and pinball machines, I went with games that I enjoyed playing as a kid. I have a Revenge from Mars pinball machine. This machine has both a playing field and uses a CRT to give a 3D-like image on top of the playing field giving the impression of progression in the game. This Pinball 2000 technology was only used in 2 games, this one and Star Wars Episode 1, which I also have and gives a rather unique feel while playing.

Another arcade machine I enjoyed playing, which I got, is Front Line. It has a fairly difficult control panel with controls for both direction of the player and the shooting hand and shooting, in addition to a button to throw grenades. It takes a bit to get used to, but I played this game a lot during high school lunch breaks and got to be pretty good in it.

Startpage: Would you rather share your search history or go offline for a month?

Jon von Tetzchner: Not that I believe that my search history is all that interesting or surprising, I think I would have to say go offline for a month, almost on principle. It is not a question of my search history. It is a question of all our search histories and what some third party can do with that. We all deserve the right to privacy and as a society we need to defend the right. Not just for the individual, but for society.