We advance society by advancing freedom
At Proton, our social mission is at the heart of all we do. We believe in building an internet that works for people and not just for profit. But our work extends beyond our mission and service offering.
Proton provides free and open-source technology to millions of people and organizations to expand access to privacy, security, and freedom online.
Without privacy, there can be no freedom of speech, and without freedom of speech, there can be no democracy. This principle guides the non-profit Proton Foundation which supervises all of our activities globally.
Direct action for a better world
Since 2018, we partner with the Proton community to identify and fund important projects that are helping to build the kind of world we want to live in. All proceeds raised through a combination of auctions, raffles, and Proton’s own donations of up to $250k, go to community-nominated organizations promoting privacy, free speech, and human rights.
We've distributed over $5 million in direct grants to more than 50 vetted organizations
Some of the organizations we have supported are listed below.
Standing with our community no matter what
During the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, many tech companies, including Apple, turned their backs on the demonstrators in order to preserve access to the Chinese market. Proton Mail stepped in and provided free encrypted email services to activists working on the ground.
Investigative reports and trackers
Some of the most consequential stories about the internet go underreported, censorship crackdowns, privacy fines that barely dent Big Tech, the quiet outsourcing of Europe's digital backbone. Our special reports put them on the record, from a tracker of every major tech fine to an observatory mapping where governments are blocking the open internet.
Defending internet access around the world
We utilize our resources and technology to defend an open and uncensored internet.
In 2022, our work was featured on a front page New York Times article, highlighting the challenges and efforts we go through to counteract government censorship, especially in countries like Russia, and ensure our users are still able to access and share information online.
Documenting the fight against online censorship
As governments restrict internet access and stifle freedom of speech, VPNs have become essential tools for people to combat internet censorship.
Starting in 2021, we begun documenting all significant spikes in Proton VPN usage and their connection to major geopolitical events around the world as part of the Proton VPN Observatory project.
Backing Europe's digital independence with EuroStack
When foreign platforms dominate the market and reinvest European data and profits elsewhere, it's smaller companies that pay the price. In support of the EuroStack initiative, we're giving every French SME with up to 100 employees a free year of Proton Mail or Proton Pass for business, an investment worth up to €100 million, so the continent can build its tech stack on its own terms.
Privacy tools for the next generation at exclusive discounts
Students live their lives online, often long before anyone teaches them how to stay safe there. So we offer students up to 70% off our Plus plans to protect their accounts, documents, and communications while they focus on what matters: learning.
Amplifying the voice of activists
Former Hong Kong legislator and Proton user Nathan Law describes how freedom and privacy are under attack in Hong Kong.
In 2020, with the help of the Proton community, we raised $100,000 for humanitarian relief for Hong Kong activists who were violently suppressed.
Community spotlight
Violence, intimidation, and exile for the last independent news outlet in Belarus
In 2018 we financed Charter’97, the most popular independent news outlet in Belarus. Editor-in-chief (and Proton user) Natalya Radina has been on the front lines of Belarus's fight for freedom.
For journalists working in war zones or under repressive governments, digital security and privacy can be the difference between life and death
In 2019, we supported Reporters Without Borders’ digital security training program for journalists in the field. Together, we funded scholarships for journalists from conflict zones and repressive regimes. Reporters Without Borders uses Proton Mail for secure communications.
Advocating for privacy worldwide
Access to privacy often depends upon where you live. At Proton, we are committed to defending and promoting the right to privacy around the world.
Policy advocacy
Through our policy, government affairs and legal teams, we provide testimony and thought leadership to advance regulatory and legislative solutions that protect the Internet and democracy.
We actively participate in policy and regulatory discussions in different countries across the globe.
For example, we contribute to the European and US legislative efforts to promote competition, innovation and secure technologies such as end-to-end encryption which is critical both for privacy and cybersecurity.
Advocating for a fairer internet
Proton is one of the founders and the driving force behind launching the Coalition for Competitive Digital Markets (CDM). The coalition represents 50+ companies from 16 countries as well as the European DIGITAL SME Alliance, a business association made of more than 45,000 digital SMEs.
We are also a founder of the Coalition for App Fairness(new window) and The Little Tech Association(new window).
Engaging with Swiss policymakers
Proton participates in regulatory procedures and fights the application of overreaching regulations in Switzerland.
In 2021, we won an important victory at the Swiss Federal Administrative Court which confirmed that email services cannot be considered telecommunications providers, and consequently are not subject to the data retention requirements of telcos.
Holding Big Tech accountable
Proton engages regularly with US lawmakers and members of Congress on tech policy. We were featured heavily in the first antitrust report of the US Congress and the recent NTIA’s report on competition in the mobile application ecosystem.
Proton has also been an active supporter of the UK’s regulatory and legislative efforts to make the Internet and the mobile ecosystems more open and fair.
Education and training
We believe that knowledge is power. Whether it's publishing articles, sharing knowledge through the Proton community, or holding training sessions, we work continually to empower individuals and businesses worldwide. Some examples of our work in this area include:
Proton’s AI privacy guide: What everyone should know
Most AI tools run on a quiet trade-off. You get the help, they get your chats, files, and photos to train models and target ads. Our guide to AI privacy brings together explainers and deep dives on how the major platforms handle your data, and what you can do to stay in control of yours.
European alternatives: A privacy guide to leaving Big Tech
Most of the tools people use every day are governed by a handful of US companies subject to warrantless surveillance and data-driven business models. Our guide maps the European, privacy-first alternatives for search, browsing, email, messaging, storage, maps, and more, each scored on how well it protects your data.
Our YouTube channel: Hear from privacy and security experts
With this channel, we hope to engage you, surprise you, sometimes even rile you up. Our YouTube channel breaks them down in plain language, from how mass surveillance actually works to how employers monitor staff, and practical guides like disappearing online. You'll hear from expert voices who can cut through the noise, but also ordinary people, who confront the same issues.
The Proton blog: Latest privacy news
The stories that shape your digital rights, whether it’s surveillance laws, data breaches, age-verification mandates, or the fight for digital sovereignty, often go underreported elsewhere. Our blog covers them as they happen, alongside practical privacy guides you can act on.
Email encryption: A helmet for cyberspace
At the Second Asian Investigative Journalism Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, we organized a training session to educate investigative journalists on how to properly use email encryption to protect their communication privacy while working under repressive governments.
GDPR.EU: The definitive GDPR guide
With the support of the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union, Proton is the publisher and maintainer of GDPR.EU, the definitive guide to GDPR compliance that has become an invaluable tool for businesses large and small.
Take action
We can’t accomplish our mission without you. There are many ways to get involved with Proton.
