Your private video files are for your eyes only — but not all cloud storage services store your videos securely, let alone privately.
In this article we examine the level of privacy provided by some of the most popular video sharing platforms and explain what you can do to keep your private videos safe while preventing file sharing companies from having access to the content you upload and share online.
Most services can see your private videos
Even if you’re using a reputable platform to store and share your personal files, there’s a good chance that your private videos aren’t truly private.
Many popular sharing services — like those mentioned below — rely on in-transit and at-rest encryption methods, like using the TLS encryption protocol to protect data during transfer to and from their servers, as well as the AES encryption protocol to secure files while they rest on their services.
The reasons for this are historical more than anything. Before we had high-speed internet, it made sense to use two kinds of encryption. The in-transit encryption would be extra secure to make sure that even if your data was intercepted it would be unreadable, while files kept on servers would use a fast cipher so you could quickly access them.
The downside to this system is (1) the service you use always has the key to your data, so they can see what you’re storing and you have no real control over your files. And (2), this form of encryption makes your content vulnerable to data breaches by repeatedly encrypting and decrypting it throughout the upload, storing, and sharing process.
Let’s explore how some of the most popular private video sharing platforms handle encryption and what it means for the privacy of your videos.
Google Drive
Google Drive is by far one of the most popular cloud storage services. Files are protected in transit using TLS and encrypted at rest with AES-128. However, by using Google Drive, you grant Google the right to scan and potentially remove your personal files at any time. There’s no way to opt out of Google using your data to improve its services. While the Big Tech giant states it doesn’t display personalized ads based on the content stored in Google Drive, its business model still depends heavily on user data gathered from other Google tools. And, if a hacker ever does breach Google’s servers, both your files and their encryption keys could be compromised, putting your private videos at risk.
WeTransfer
WeTransfer encrypts your files with TLS when uploading, and once on its servers, it re-encrypts them using AES-256. When someone downloads your file, WeTransfer decrypts it again and re-encrypts it with TLS for the transfer. While these layers sound robust, there are brief moments when your files are temporarily unencrypted on WeTransfer’s servers. During these intervals, anyone who gains unauthorized access to WeTransfer’s infrastructure could potentially view what you’re sending, undermining your private video security.
Vimeo
Originally a video-sharing platform, Vimeo now allows you to control access to your videos by sharing unlisted links, setting passwords, or managing the permissions of those you choose to share your videos with. Vimeo’s infrastructure relies on AWS Simple Storage and Google Cloud — the latter having a very questionable reputation for privacy. Like the others in this list, Vimeo uses secure encryption and strong TLS protocols for data in transit, and data at rest also receives encryption wherever feasible. While Vimeo maintains robust safeguards its primary focus isn’t end-to-end encryption or zero-knowledge privacy, meaning full control over your private videos is still limited.
Dropbox
Dropbox uses TLS for in-transit security and AES-256 encryption at rest. Despite these measures, Dropbox has a noteworthy history of security issues, and since it does not offer true client-side encryption by default, it can access your files. According to its privacy policy, Dropbox may share data — including your files — with other companies or authorities when requested. These practices raise questions about data protection, making it less than ideal when considering where to upload videos to share privately.
Where to upload, share, and store private video files securely
The only way around leaving your files susceptible to breaches or being used by your sharing service provider is to use a different type of encryption, called end-to-end encryption. In this scenario, data is encrypted from the moment you upload it until you download it again. At no other point is it decrypted, meaning nobody can sneak a peek at it. Better yet, you’re the one in control of the keys as they’re generated on your end, meaning you’re in control of your files.
Currently, there’s little reason for a cloud storage service not to use end-to-end encryption, unless its business model is based on surveillance. Servers and connections are fast enough to handle encryption, and encryption protocols themselves have also significantly improved. The best part is that these advanced protocols even let you share private video with others while remaining encrypted.
If you want to use a cloud storage service where your private videos stay private, end-to-end encryption is the key. However, that means you need to find a service that offers this.
Keep your private videos private with Proton Drive
If you’re looking for somewhere to upload videos to share privately, Proton Drive is your answer — a state-of-the-art cloud storage service that has end-to-end encryption by default. It’s not a paid feature, or an obscure toggle you need to click on: Anything you store with us enjoys full privacy. At no point can anybody but you, and whomever you share with, see the videos you’re storing.
As a result, any video becomes a private video when you upload it to Proton Drive. You can decide who can see each file and who can’t, and you can stop sharing any file whenever you want. It’s even possible to set an expiry date on video file access, or password protect your private videos for greater control.
See our article about creating shareable links to learn exactly how to share private videos.
We created a cloud storage solution where you can upload videos to share privately because putting you in control is a core part of our philosophy at Proton. We have built an interface based on your feedback, and all our features were inspired by our community. This is because we always put our users first. We can do this because, unlike most other tech companies, we’re entirely funded by you, our users. No shareholders, no venture capital; it’s just you that’s funding us.
If that sounds like something you want to be a part of, a community with its own voice and our ear, then join Proton Drive today. The first 5 GB is free forever.
