Do we like them?

Do we like Proton?

Encrypted email, VPN, drive and password apps (Proton Mail, Proton VPN); based in Switzerland.

Our score: 8 out of 10. Mostly yes. It sells privacy for subscriptions, not ads, and a non-profit foundation holds the top stake. It has been criticised for how it handled court orders.

Proton began in 2014 as a crowdfunded encrypted email project (Proton Mail), started by scientists who met at CERN. It is now a Swiss company that also runs a VPN, and it bought SimpleLogin in 2022.

In 2024 the founders and its first employee gave shares to a new non-profit Proton Foundation, which became the largest voting shareholder. Heise says the aim is to protect its independence from shareholders. Sources differ on whether the foundation controls the company or just influences it. Andy Yen chairs the foundation and is CEO of the company.

The big drama came in 2021. Euronews and others reported that Proton passed a French climate activist's IP address to police, and the activist was arrested. Proton said it acted on a legally binding Swiss order. Critics said its marketing had overstated its privacy protections.

Overall we like them. The business model is paying customers rather than selling data, and the ownership is unusual. They can't ignore court orders, but they should be clearer with users about what they can't hide. That is why we give it an 8.