Privacy & Security

Growing public awareness about the threat posed to our fundamental right to privacy by online trackers has fueled a surge in VPN adoption, a trend that has been boosted thanks to people spending more time online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although VPN use is at an all-time high, many people still associate the technology […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rush to digitalization. Daily activities that once required in-person attendance, like classes, conferences, and even family gatherings, are being held online. While this increasingly internet-mediated life has made many events more accessible to more people, it has also introduced new security and privacy concerns. The more time we spend […]

This year, repressive governments continued to use internet shutdowns and social media blackouts as tools to censor their critics and keep their citizens in the dark. However, we noticed an encouraging countertrend: Citizens in these countries have learned to use VPNs to circumvent these blocks and fight back. Throughout 2020, ProtonVPN received multiple, significant spikes […]

An almost daily drumbeat of data breaches and online privacy violations has fueled public interest in VPN services such as ProtonVPN. This article explains what VPNs are, what they do, and whether you need one. Our sister article, How does a VPN work?, provides a more detailed and technical overview of what is going on […]

A virtual private network (VPN) provides privacy and a host of other benefits when connecting to the internet. Our blog post What is a VPN? explains what this technology does and some reasons you might find it useful to install your own VPN on your device.  In this article, we will go deeper and explain […]

TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media apps in the world. But recently it has been criticized for over collecting data, using insecure protocols, and potentially submitting to the Chinese government. These concerns have even led several countries to consider banning TikTok. If you are concerned that TikTok might be compromising your privacy, […]

A Chinese language overview of Proton published in Taiwan can be found here: https://www.twreporter.org/a/protonmail-project Last week, we stood in solidarity with citizens in the US against the reauthorization of the USA Freedom Act. Today we are standing in solidarity with the people of Hong Kong after the Chinese government announced a new security law designed […]

On May 14, the Senate reauthorized the USA Freedom Act, which extends the expansive domestic surveillance powers contained in the Patriot Act.  The original Freedom Act had expired in March. Now that it has been reauthorized, it grants the FBI (and other law enforcement agencies) broad warrantless access to sensitive personal information, including Internet browsing […]

If you play online gaming, you are probably being spied on.  Privacy concerns may be inherent in the design of the game itself, such as games that require access to your webcam or microphone. Some companies sell any relevant information they’ve collected about you to advertisers, and others collect enormous quantities of data for their […]