ProtonMail, the world’s largest encrypted email provider, announced that the service is leaving beta and will be allowing open registrations. ProtonMail is also launching its free iOS and Android mobile applications globally in the Apple App store and Google Play store.
ProtonMail features end-to-end encryption, which makes it practically impossible for governments, or even ProtonMail itself, to gain access to user messages, ensuring the highest level of security and privacy. The service encrypts and decrypts all data on-the-fly on the client side, which means that emails between ProtonMail users are never stored as plaintext, and therefore the government can’t force their release.
“Strong encryption and privacy are a social and economic necessity. Not only does this technology protect activists and dissidents, it is also key to securing the world’s digital infrastructure,” says ProtonMail co-founder Andy Yen. “This is why, all things considered, strong encryption is absolutely necessary for the greater good.”
The development of ProtonMail started in 2014 at CERN ‒ just like the development of the Web itself ‒ in response to growing concerns about governments spying on peaceful citizens’ email.
“I am very concerned about the privacy issue, and I was wondering what I could do about it,” Yen posted to a CERN Facebook group. ProtonMail raised its first $550,000 with crowdfunding, followed by a $2 million seed round from Charles River Ventures and Fongit.
Today, ProtonMail is one of the fastest-growing companies in Switzerland with three offices globally, and was ranked last year by Business Insider as the hottest startup in Switzerland.
The decision to open up ProtonMail is motivated by an increasing trend toward more and more surveillance around the world and growing efforts to undermine online privacy.
“We understand that governments have concerns when it comes to terrorism and encryption, but undermining our collective security by weakening cryptography is the wrong […]
