The desire for an internet that protects people’s privacy is growing. A 2019 Pew Research poll showed that 79% of Americans report being concerned about how companies use their data. But any privacy reforms that don’t address Big Tech’s dominance of the internet are bound to fail. Big Tech companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, and …

Since email was invented, it has become a crucial form of communication in our private and professional lives. Even with the growing popularity of other communication platforms, such as instant messaging and video conferencing, email continues to hold the keys to our digital identities. Over 300 billion emails were sent and received per day in …

You need an email address to exist at all in the online world. Signing up for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or any other online service requires one. It’s also our go-to method of communication for online banking, purchasing, and business deals. As a result, over half the world’s adult population uses email, and we trust …

As discussed in our article on HIPAA Compliance, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a collection of closely aligned regulations that protect the medical data of patients in the United States. In that article, we also discuss who must be HIPAA compliant — covered entities and business associates — which basically means …

Facebook, the owner of WhatsApp, has forced an ultimatum upon WhatsApp’s users: share future transactional data and metadata from the end-to-end encrypted messenger with Facebook, or lose access to your WhatsApp account.  Users are being informed of this new requirement via an in-app notification. If they do not accept the sweeping changes to WhatsApp’s terms …

ProtonMail was created to help build a more free and open internet that puts people first. This makes it a great Gmail alternative for those who value privacy and security. Founded by scientists who met at CERN, ProtonMail protects all messages with end-to-end encryption and zero-access encryption to ensure nobody can access your emails’ contents.  …

We updated this article on Sept. 25, 2020, to provide more context about why Proton is joining the Coalition for App Fairness. In recent months, regulators in both the US and Europe have begun looking into app store policies. These investigations are not only centered on Apple, but are also looking at Google Play and app stores …

The number of Google searches in all languages for a privacy-focused Gmail alternative (e.g., “private email” or “encrypted email”) increased 39 percent worldwide between May 2019 and April 2020.  This surge in interest is a promising sign that online privacy is starting to become a priority for people. It also indicates that a broad swath …

On Wednesday, the CEOs of four massive tech companies — Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon — testified before a congressional investigation about those companies’ anti-competitive practices. The CEOs were eager to portray their companies as under constant threat from competitors. However, the congressional subcommittee raised multiple examples of the companies using their power to spy on, …

TikTok, the video-sharing platform owned by the Chinese social media giant ByteDance, is one of the most popular social media services in the world, with an estimated 800 million users. However, its zealous data collection, use of Chinese infrastructure, and its parent company’s close ties to the Chinese Communist Party make it a perfect tool …

From Hong Kong to Minneapolis, protesters around the world are standing up for their human rights. The right to peaceful assembly and protest are bedrocks of democracy, and we support everyone’s ability to exercise these rights. We created ProtonMail to protect people’s privacy and freedom from encroaching surveillance. For this reason, activists around the world …

The number of data requests the US government sent to Google has increased 510% since 2010. US government requests to Facebook have also increased 364% since the beginning of 2013. The databases of private companies are increasingly being used to monitor individuals with little transparency into the process. In 2013, when Edward Snowden revealed the …