Proton Mail was founded in 2014 to build a better internet where privacy is the default, and to protect activists, journalists, and ordinary people from online surveillance. We are activists ourselves, and over the years we have supported movements around the world from Hong Kong to Belarus to Myanmar(new window), both with our products and through direct advocacy. In the last three years, we’ve donated(new window) $500,000 to groups like EDRi, NOYB and the International Federation of Journalist’s Safety Fund in their fight for the right to free expression.
Today, we are happy to announce the launch of Privacy Decrypted, a new blog series that will cover essential privacy knowledge that everybody should know. You can find the first post in the series below.
Privacy Decrypted #1 – What is a threat model?
Why Privacy Decrypted?
We have been listening closely to feedback from the Proton community, and we recognize that Proton doesn’t just have a duty to protect. We have, first and foremost, a duty to educate. Privacy is a complex topic. Privacy-related legislation is often indecipherable, the technology can be complex (we’re trying to change that), and the stakes are high, particularly when serving sensitive groups, such as activists.
Over the past seven years, Proton has grown significantly, with more than 50 million signups worldwide. Privacy has gone mainstream, with good reason. Tech giants engage in more and more invasive exploitation of our most sensitive data in the pursuit of greater profits, while governments around the world expand the surveillance state to tighten control over citizens. However, privacy knowledge has not gone mainstream, and Privacy Decrypted fills that gap.
Empowerment through education
We are committed to doing everything in our power to protect users. We’re fighting back with both technology and legal challenges (in 2020, we contested over 750 government attempts to get Proton user data). Our use of encryption also plays a role, and ensures that no court order can compel us to decrypt encrypted messages. This has been proven in court and also via independent third-party audits of our open-source code. These characteristics make Proton Mail unique, but we can do more. When it comes to staying safe, knowledge is power, and with Privacy Decrypted, we’re working to ensure that every activist is empowered and can make a difference.
Follow us on social media to know each time a new edition of Privacy Decrypted is posted, and feel free to join the conversation and suggest topics for us to cover.
Best Regards,
The Proton Team.
