- Popular VPN provider Proton introduced its new privacy-focused document editor on Wednesday.
- Proton Docs will encrypt all your data, including your keyboard and cursor movement. Plus, your data will be stored on the very secure Swiss servers.
- It can prove to be a fierce competitor for popular document editors like Google Docs, which offer lacklustre privacy measures.
Makers of the very secure Proton VPN and one of the best encrypted email services Proton Mail on Wednesday (July 3) announced a new end-to-end encrypted collaborative document editor that prioritizes safety over everything else.
Proton Docs is built in collaboration with the team from Standard Notes, who share the same values as Proton when it comes to safety and privacy.
Proton Docs have already been rolled out. All you need to do to access it is create a free Proton Drive account. Next, go to drive.proton.me and click on ‘New’ from the menu and then press the ‘Create New Document’ option.
What Makes Proton Docs Different?
The promise of privacy with products like these is everywhere, but only a few providers like Proton help you understand how exactly it’ll make your data private.
Here’s what makes Proton Docs different:
- It’s open-source (as is all Proton VPN apps), so anyone can inspect its code at any time. This promotes transparency and trust.
- Next, it’s end-to-end encrypted, which means none other than the user (not even Proton employees) can access their data.
- None of your activities will ever be tracked. Even your cursor and keystroke movements are encrypted.
- Your data is stored on servers located in Switzerland, where it’s protected by strong Swiss privacy laws. It’s worth noting that Switzerland is outside the EU and U.S. jurisdiction, plus it isn’t part of the ‘14 Eyes’ alliance, so it can’t be forced to invade the privacy of its users.
- Unlike other tech companies, Proton won’t collect your data for AI training.
Other Proton Docs Features
Just because Proton Docs is privacy-focused doesn’t mean that it scrimps on useful features essential to doc productivity.
- You can invite other users to view or edit the document with you.
- If there’s another user present in the document with you, it’ll be indicated via cursors and presence indicators.
- Collaborators will be allowed to leave comments or reply to comments in the doc.
- Changes are reflected in real time without any lag.
- Once you’re done, you can easily import the document in various formats such as .docx, .txt, .md, and HTML.
Why Did Proton Create a Privacy-Focused Document Editor?
Proton has time and again set the bar high, showing the world what data privacy should look like in products such as VPN, email, password manager, etc. So, an end-to-end encrypted document editor was really not much of a surprise.
Nevertheless, the company outlined a few reasons why it chose to create Proton Docs:
- A lot of tech companies have their headquarters in the U.S., a country that has really weak privacy laws. Proton, on the other hand, is based out of Switzerland, which is known for its world-class privacy laws and non-existent government surveillance.
- Proton Docs has end-to-end encryption, meaning even data breaches or leaks won’t compromise your data.
- Big Tech platforms often store and comb through user data without their consent. They could either sell it to third parties or simply use it to get feedback on user experience. However, with Proton, there’ll be no unwanted or unauthorized monitoring.
Proton Docs Ready to Take on Google Docs?
When it comes to online document editing, Google Docs is undoubtedly one of the first names to come to mind. So, it’s natural to wonder if Proton Docs will be able to give Google a run for its money in the document-management market.
Well, it’s too early to comment on that, but it’s definitely a possibility. After all, Proton Docs is offering similar features as Google Docs but far superior security measures.
Plus, Google is working on its own AI models, so it won’t be too surprising if it’s using the data of its users to train them. Proton, on the other hand, has promised that no data from Proton Docs will be used for AI training.
However, Google Docs is one of the many useful productivity tools offered under Google Workspace, which also contains Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Meet, and loads more.
Google Workspace has a massive share of around 71.20% in the office-suites market. So, it will be tough for Proton Docs—a standalone product—to get users to switch.
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