Privacy & Security

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 […]

Internet companies already follow your every move online: Now they are partnering with law enforcement to bring that same level of surveillance to the physical world. Amazon Ring, the creator of a popular camera-equipped doorbell, has entered into secretive partnerships with hundreds of police departments across the United States. These agreements often require police officers […]

Smart TVs are essentially televisions that can watch you. Their surge in popularity, along with smart speakers, means corporations (and anyone that can hack these devices) have another window through which they can view your private activity. The data collection that typifies the Internet is spilling over into your offline life — and invading your […]