all-in-one privacy solution":["Proton Unlimited es una solución de privacidad todo en uno"],"Black Friday":["Black Friday"],"No ads. Privacy by default.":["Sin publicidad. La privacidad por bandera."],"People before profits":["Nos importan las personas, no los beneficios"],"Security through transparency":["Seguridad con transparencia"],"The best Proton Mail ${ BLACK_FRIDAY } deals":["Las mejores ofertas del ${ BLACK_FRIDAY } de Proton Mail"],"The world’s only community- supported email service":["El único servicio de correo electrónico financiado la comunidad"]},"specialoffer:limited":{"${ hours } hour":["${ hours } hora","${ hours } horas"],"${ hoursLeft }, ${ minutesLeft } and ${ secondsLeft } left":["Tiempo restante: ${ hoursLeft }, ${ minutesLeft } y ${ secondsLeft }"],"${ minutes } minute":["${ minutes } minuto","${ minutes } minutos"],"${ seconds } second":["${ seconds } segundo","${ seconds } segundos"],"Limited time offer":["Oferta por tiempo limitado"]},"specialoffer:listitem":{"Create multiple addresses":["Crea varias direcciones"],"Hide-my-email aliases":["Alias de hide-my-email"],"Quickly unsubscribe from newsletters":["Date de baja rápidamente de boletines"],"Use your own domain name":["Usa tu propio nombre de dominio"]},"specialoffer:logos":{"As featured in":["Hablan de nosotros"]},"specialoffer:metadescription":{"Get an encrypted email that protects your privacy":["Apuesta por un servicio de correo electrónico cifrado que protege tu privacidad"]},"specialoffer:metatitle":{"Proton Mail Black Friday Sale - Up to 40% off":["Rebajas de Black Friday de Proton: hasta un 40 % de descuento"]},"specialoffer:newmetadescription":{"Get up to 40% off Proton Mail subscriptions this Black Friday. Find great deals on our secure end-to-end encrypted email plans.":["Contrata Proton Mail con hasta un 40 % de descuento en las rebajas de Black Friday. Encontrarás nuestros planes de correo electrónico cifrado de extremo a extremo al mejor precio."]},"specialoffer:newmetatitle":{"Proton Mail Black Friday sale | Up to 40% off secure email":["Rebajas de Black Friday en Proton Mail | Correo electrónico seguro con hasta un 40 % de descuento"]},"specialoffer:note":{"* Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first year":["* A un precio de ${ TOTAL_SUM } durante el primer año"],"*Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first 2 years":["*A un precio de ${ TOTAL_SUM } durante los 2 primeros años"],"30-day money-back guarantee":["Garantía de devolución de 30 días"],"Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first 2 years":["A un precio de ${ TOTAL_SUM } durante los 2 primeros años"],"Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first year":["A un precio de ${ TOTAL_SUM } durante el primer año"],"You save ${ SAVE_SUM }":["Ahorras ${ SAVE_SUM }"]},"specialoffer:off":{"${ PERCENT_OFF } off":["−${ PERCENT_OFF }"]},"specialoffer:testimonial":{"I love my ProtonMail":["Adoro ProtonMail"],"My favorite email service":["Mi servicio de correo electrónico favorito"],"Thanks Proton for keeping us all safe in the complicated internet universe.":["Gracias, Proton, por brindarnos protección en este mundo salvaje de Internet."],"You get what you pay for. In the case of big tech, if you pay nothing, you get used. I quit using Gmail and switched to @ProtonMail":["Dan justo lo que prometen. Si las grandes tecnológicas te ofrecen algo gratis, se aprovechan de ti, por eso dejé de usar Gmail y me pasé a @ProtonMail"]},"specialoffer:time":{"Days":["días"],"Hours":["horas"],"Min":["min"]},"specialoffer:title":{"And much more":["Y mucho más"],"Safe from trackers":["Evita los rastreadores"],"Stay organized":["Mantén el orden"],"Black Friday email deals":["Ofertas en correo electrónico del Black Friday"],"Don’t just take our word for it":["Lee testimonios de otras personas"],"Make your inbox yours":["Toma posesión de tu bandeja de entrada"],"Our story":["Nuestra historia"],"Transfer your data from Google in one click":["Transfiere tus datos de Google con un clic"]},"specialoffer:tooltip":{"Access blocked content and browse privately. Includes ${ TOTAL_VPN_SERVERS }+ servers in ${ TOTAL_VPN_COUNTRIES }+ countries, connect up to 10 devices, access worldwide streaming services, malware and ad-blocker, and more.":["Accede a contenido bloqueado y navega con privacidad. Incluye ${ TOTAL_VPN_SERVERS } servidores en más de ${ TOTAL_VPN_COUNTRIES } países. Conecta hasta 10 dispositivos, accede a servicios de streaming de todo el mundo, bloqueadores de malware y anuncios, etc."],"Easily share your calendar with your family, friends or colleagues, and view external calendars.":["Comparte tu calendario con familiares, amigos y compañeros fácilmente y consulta calendarios externos."],"Includes support for 1 custom email domain, 10 email addresses, 10 hide-my-email aliases, calendar sharing, and more.":["Incluye compatibilidad con 1 dominio de correo electrónico personalizado, 10 direcciones de correo electrónico, 10 alias de hide-my-email, posibilidad de compartir calendario, etc."],"Includes support for 3 custom email domains, 15 email addresses, unlimited hide-my-email aliases, calendar sharing, and more.":["Incluye compatibilidad con 3 dominios de correo electrónico personalizado, 15 direcciones de correo electrónico, alias ilimitados de hide-my-email, posibilidad de compartir calendario, etc."],"Manage up to 25 calendars, mobile apps, secured with end-to-end encryption, 1-click calendar import from Google, and more.":["Gestiona hasta 25 calendarios protegidos con cifrado de extremo a extremo y con opción, por ejemplo, de importar los de Google con un solo clic."]},"Status banner":{"Learn more":["Más información"],"Please note that at the moment we are experiencing issues with the ${ issues[0] } service.":["Ten presente que, en estos momentos, el servicio de ${ issues[0] } está dando problemas de funcionamiento."],"We are experiencing issues with one or more services at the moment.":["Uno o varios servicios están dando problemas de funcionamiento en estos momentos."]},"Status Banner":{"At the moment we are experiencing issues with the Proton VPN service":["Hay problemas con el servicio de Proton VPN en estos momentos"],"Learn more":["Más información"]},"steps":{"Step":["Paso"]},"suggestions":{"Suggestions":["Sugerencias"]},"Support":{"Sub category":["Subcategoría","Subcategorías"]},"Support article":{"${ readingTime } min":["${ readingTime } min","${ readingTime } min"],"Category":["Categoría","Categorías"],"Didn’t find what you were looking for?":["¿No has encontrado lo que buscabas?"],"General contact":["Contacto para consultas generales"],"Get help":["Obtener ayuda"],"Legal contact":["Contacto para cuestiones legales"],"Media contact":["Contacto para prensa y medios de comunicación"],"Partnerships contact":["Contacto para colaboraciones"],"Reading":["Lectura"]},"Support Form Platform option":{"VPN for Android TV":["VPN para Android TV"],"VPN for Apple TV":["VPN para Apple TV"],"VPN for Chromebook":["VPN para Chromebook"]},"Support troubleshooting":{"App version":["Versión de la aplicación"],"Browser":["Navegador"],"Check if this helps":["Comprueba a ver si te sirve"],"Choose a product":["Elegir producto"],"Did this solve your issue?":["¿Te ha resultado útil para resolver el problema?"],"Faster assistance is just a few clicks away":["Solo te separan unos clics de una asistencia más rápida"],"How can we help?":["¿Cómo podemos ayudarte?"],"No, contact support":["No, contactar con el equipo de asistencia"],"Please fill out one field after another":["Rellena un campo después de otro"],"Please make your selections":["Realiza tus selecciones"],"Proton account":["Cuenta de Proton"],"Proton for Business":["Proton for Business"],"Thank you for your feedback":["Gracias por tus comentarios"],"What can we help with?":["¿En qué podemos ayudarte?"],"Yes":["Sí"]},"support_modal_search_query":{"Search query":["Consulta de búsqueda"]},"support_search_button":{"Search":["Buscar"]},"support_search_i_am_looking_for":{"I'm looking for":["Busco"]},"SupportForm":{"For a faster resolution, please report the issue from the Bridge app: Help > Report a problem.":["Para una resolución más rápida, informa del problema desde la aplicación Bridge: Ayuda > Notificar un problema."],"Information":["Información"]},"SupportForm:option":{"Account Security":["Seguridad de la cuenta"],"Contacts":["Contactos"],"Custom email domain":["Dominio de correo electrónico personalizado"],"Email delivery and Spam":["Envío de correos electrónico y spam"],"Encryption":["Cifrado"],"Login and password":["Inicio de sesión y contraseña"],"Merge aliases and accounts":["Fusionar seudónimos y cuentas"],"Migrate to Proton":["Migrar a Proton"],"Notifications":["Notificaciones"],"Other":["Otro"],"Plans and billing":["Planes y facturación"],"Proton for Business":["Proton for Business"],"Sign up":["Regístrate"],"Storage":["Almacenamiento"],"Users, addresses, and identities":["Usuarios, direcciones e identidades"]},"SupportForm:optionIntro":{"Select a topic":["Selecciona un tema"]},"Testimonial":{"Awards":["Premios"],"Customers":["Clientes"],"Featured":["Destacado"],"Go to testimonial source":["Ir a la fuente del testimonio"],"Open source of award":["Fuente disponible del premio"],"Open source of quote":["Fuente disponible del 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página"]},"tooltip_vpn":{"Access blocked content and browse privately. Includes ${ TOTAL_VPN_SERVERS }+ servers in ${ TOTAL_VPN_COUNTRIES }+ countries, highest VPN speed, ${ TOTAL_VPN_CONNECTIONS } VPN connections, worldwide streaming services, malware and ad-blocker, and more.":["Accede a contenido bloqueado y navega en privado. 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Many companies that handle personal information reassure their users by saying that all the data is “anonymized.” If you don’t know any better, that sounds reassuring.
However, the method most companies use to anonymize data and the size of modern databases make it easy for attackers to re-identify individuals. From medical records to cell phone data sets, it only takes about a dozen pieces of information to find the person behind each “anonymous” record.
Part of our mission at Proton is to make sure people understand the privacy risks of sharing data. Maintaining your data security means sharing your data only with trustworthy organizations that are clear about what data they collect and what they do with it.
Everyone leaves a trace
By definition, truly anonymized data is stripped of all the elements that could possibly identify the correct individual. (In this article, we’ll refer to this individual as the “data subject,” borrowing the GDPR(ventana nueva) term.) The most popular mode of anonymization is to remove personally identifiable information from a database, such as your name, your birth date, your phone number, your home address, etc.
On the surface, this might seem like enough to protect your privacy. However, as you begin overlapping different types of data, you can start to identify people. Indeed, one data anonymization company, Aircloak, even acknowledges that true anonymization is extremely difficult(ventana nueva): “as is the case with IT security, no 100% guarantee can be given, and often there is the need for a risk assessment.”
Here’s an example of re-identification(ventana nueva) from the Journal of Technology Science that can give you an idea of how this might work. In it, an “anonymous” medical record can be cross-referenced with another source of information (in this case a newspaper brief about a motorcycle crash) to identify the patient’s name.
It only takes 15 data points to make 99.98% of people identifiable in a database of 7 million people, according to one paper published in Nature(ventana nueva).
Fifteen data attributes may seem like a lot, but it’s not. The report references the Experian data breach(ventana nueva), which leaked an “anonymized” database containing 248 data points on 120 million Americans. Major political campaigns also keep massive databases(ventana nueva) (and distribute them to their allies) which include hundreds of data points on their data subjects.
Re-identifying data contained in a supposedly anonymized database is not just a neat statistical trick for academics. It has real-world consequences. Anonymized data is treated differently because it is supposed to protect the privacy of its data subjects.
Some countries do a better job of requiring effective anonymization. The European Union’s GDPR covers this in Recital 26(ventana nueva), which says that data must truly be anonymous to be exempt from the regulation’s data protection rules. And there are methods of anonymization, such as data generalization or perturbation(ventana nueva), that are more effective.
However, this issue touches on more than just the technical difficulties presented by anonymization. It also raises the misleading promises companies make when they talk about how they treat your data.
Data analysis can provide numerous benefits to citizens, organizations, and governments, and it is legitimate to collect and analyze data for specific purposes. The distributed privacy-preserving contact tracing(ventana nueva) project is one example of how data collection could be used to trace COVID-19 infections while protecting individuals’ privacy.
However, data collection must always be made clear to the data subject, and people should always have a choice. Many companies present vague or hard-to-decipher privacy policies(ventana nueva) that make it almost impossible for data subjects to know what data is being collected and who it is being shared with. These companies treat anonymization as a way to sell data while still meeting the minimum requirement for data security.
However, if malicious actors can re-identify you from anonymized data, it raises ethical questions about such a business model. As a user, it means you should evaluate the companies you share data with even more closely. And companies, at the very least, should notify their users of the risk of re-identification before they share their data. If not, it is impossible for users to give their informed consent.
The Proton solution
When it comes to data protection, the best approach is to collect as little as necessary to securely deliver service to users. At Proton Mail, we work hard to limit the amount of information we collect, as we make clear in our privacy policy(ventana nueva).
We’ve also removed financial incentives to access users’ data. Proton is funded through a subscription-based, ad-free business model(ventana nueva). This allows us to focus on our main mission: to increase freedom and privacy online. If we fail to protect your data, we will lose users, which means our interests are aligned with the community’s.
As a tech company made up of physicists and engineers, we recognize the value of data. However, where other companies see your data as a resource to be exploited, we see something personal that belongs to you and deserves safekeeping.
Proton Mail and Proton VPN are funded by community contributions. If you would like to support our development efforts, you can upgrade to a paid plan(ventana nueva). Thank you for your support.