How to use Proton safely

 Last updated on May 22, 2026

This article helps you think through whether using Proton Mail/Docs/Drive is the right tool for your needs, and how to use it safely if you end up deciding to use it.

When using Proton might be a good fit:

  • If you want secure messaging, use Signal rather than Proton Mail. But if you have things to do over email (as most of us do), Proton Mail ensures the contents of your emails can't be turned over to the cops if you're emailing with other Proton users. (Gmail does not.)
  • If you collaborate with other users on drafting documents or sharing info in spreadsheets, with Proton Docs and Spreadsheets the contents of your docs can't be turned over to law enforcement (though the email addresses that doc collaborators access them with can be). Google Workspace does not.
  • If you need a free VPN, Proton VPN is safe and fast, although we mainly recommend IVPN, a paid service.
  • If you want to use Proton's services anonymously: Make sure you complete setup using Tor Browser, never enter a credit card, and never enter an email/phone as your recovery info. Then, always access Proton using Tor Browser and never any other browser. (More caveats below.)

Why we still include Proton in our recommendations (even though their company sometimes does shitty things):

  • Proton Docs is much easier to use than CryptPad, and we think usability matters a lot for people actually using secure tools. And Proton is secure in a way that Google's services are not.
  • All things considered, the concerns about the CEO's comments and missteps by their marketing department do not affect the nature of the service, which we consider secure, with the caveats we specify below.
  • The fact that the company is based in Switzerland does not put data out of reach of US agencies, but it may provide a bit more insulation than US-based services.

Many aligned organizations are already using Proton Mail: Food Not Bombs, Waging Nonviolence, PM Press, Vision Change Win, Palestine Legal, The Intercept.

Is Proton a good fit for your needs?

Using encrypted email and docs can protect you in a number of situations, but it's not the right choice for everyone.

✅ Proton might be a good option if:

  • You are storing email/docs that could put you (and others) in danger if law enforcement got ahold of that information. (Note: If your organization receives a subpoena, you will often have to turn over the data anyway. Proton would only protect you from the cops getting your data without you knowing about it, because the court order came with a gag order.)
  • You are part of a small group of people you can trust to keep their accounts secure. (Compared to Google, Proton has fewer account protections.)
  • You want easy access to email aliases which help you protect your privacy when signing up for newsletters/services on other sites.
  • You believe that big tech companies like Google are unethical and you want to keep your data somewhere that aligns more with your values.

❌ Proton is probably not a good option for you if:

  • You don't actually need encryption for your email or docs. If you think that the cops are unlikely to ever try to get a court order for your data, or your data isn't sensitive enough to matter if it was turned over, Gmail and Google Docs are often a fine option because they are easy to use and most people already use them.
  • Targeted account takeover (phishing) is a bigger risk for you than government investigation/subpoena. (Google Workspace has stronger account security protections.)
  • You are trying to remain anonymous. (This is possible with Proton, but you have to be very careful in how you use it.)
  • You need the recipients of your messages (or the people shared on your documents) to be fully private. (Consider Signal or CryptPad instead.)
  • You need the Proton team management features, such as using more than 3 "anyone with link can edit" documents but can't pay for them. (Consider CryptPad instead.)

Why Proton's services are useful for activists

✅ Reason #1: Proton offers collaborative docs and spreadsheets that are relatively easy-to-use, but fully encrypted

Until Proton Docs was released, we usually had to choose between ease-of-use and end-to-end encryption (CryptPad etc).

While Google Docs are easy to use, they're also a risk to activists because we know that Google frequently turns over data to law enforcement when the government is seeking to suppress dissent. Google recently started complying with so-called "administrative subpoenas" from ICE, which don't even require a judge to review them.

There are other encrypted document platforms, like CryptPad, that are popular with activists. CryptPad is encrypted and free, but it has a very difficult user interface and often doesn't work well on mobile.

Proton offers a good balance of both: the contents of your documents cannot be viewed by law enforcement because they are encrypted AND it has a relatively user-friendly design. (Though it doesn't have nearly as many features as Google Docs.)

We believe that recommending easy-to-use tools is one of the best ways to get more adoption.

✅ Reason #2: Proton offers limited encrypted email, but it is the most usable encrypted email tool available today

If the cops get a court order to access your Gmail account, Google will readily turn over the data with minimal pushback. If the cops include a gag order, you won't even know this happened until months later. Encrypted email helps protect against this threat.

But let's say the most important thing first: If your safety depends on the security of your communications, you should use Signal instead of email.

That said, Proton does offer encrypted email. It covers some of your messages, but not all of them, and it is more limited than their marketing material would have you believe. See below for the full list of limitations.

The more activists that use Proton, the more we make it hard for the cops to access our email when they are seeking to suppress dissent.

✅ Reason #3: Proton offers a trustworthy VPN that is free

We strongly recommend folks use IVPN if they are able to pay $6/month. But since many activists are tight on funds, we feel it's important to offer a free VPN option. Proton VPN is reasonably fast and trustworthy, as a free option.

Common (and potentially dangerous) misunderstandings about Proton

We must understand Proton's limitations in order to use it safely.

❌ Misunderstanding #1: You are anonymous when you use Proton

People often think that "end-to-end encryption" also means that your identity is protected. While this is (mostly) true when using Signal, it's not the case with any email provider because of the way email works. Encryption of messages/docs is not the same as anonymity.

  • Every time you access a website, your computer reveals its "IP address", which can be used to identify you as the user. Your browser also reveals something called a "fingerprint" that can be used to identify you. (You can protect yourself from both of these risks by using Tor Browser.) A VPN alone will not protect you from browser fingerprinting.
  • If you pay for a Proton subscription using a credit card, they have your identity and can turn it over to the cops. (There are anonymous payment options you can use instead.)
  • If you enter your phone number or another email address that is attached to your identity into the recovery info, this information can be turned over.
  • If you enter your full name in the "name" field in settings, you are directly revealing your identity.

It is possible to use Proton anonymously, but you have to be very deliberate. Always complete setup and access Proton through Tor Browser, never use a credit card, and never enter a phone number or recovery email tied to your identity.

❌ Misunderstanding #2: 100% of your emails are encrypted

Proton's email encryption only works on the contents of the email (not the subject or recipient) AND only when the emails are between Proton users (not Gmail or basically any other email provider).

Here's how the encryption actually works, and its limitations:

  • ✅ The contents of Proton emails are truly encrypted if and only if you are emailing with another Proton user. (Or someone who knows how to turn on encryption for their custom domain, which is rare.)
  • ❌ When you email with anyone outside of Proton Mail, the email is entirely unencrypted in their inbox, so it's readable by the provider (like Gmail) and could be accessed by hackers or law enforcement. Note: You can use Proton's password-protected email feature to protect external emails. This is a good feature to use.
  • ❌ The subject lines and recipient are never encrypted (even when messaging with other Proton users).
  • 🟡 Incoming emails (from any email provider) get encrypted after they arrive in your account, but Proton technically can see them briefly before they get encrypted. There hasn't been a public case of this happening, but they could be compelled to keep an active log of incoming emails (from non-Proton accounts like Gmail) before they get encrypted. This would be a pretty extraordinary step because unlike the publicized case of the IP address of a climate activist being turned over, this would require writing new code.

❌ Misunderstanding #3: Proton being based in Switzerland protects you from US law enforcement getting your account data

The US government uses something called a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to carry out court orders in other countries.

That means that some of the data on your Proton account is still accessible to US law enforcement, even though the company is based in Switzerland. (See below for a list of what is encrypted and not encrypted.)

There are additional hurdles the cops have to jump, and the Swiss courts have to assess whether the legal request meets their country's laws. If the Swiss courts agree that the request is valid, they will send a court order to Proton and Proton must comply (or face legal/financial consequences).

As we mention below, the fact that Proton turns data over to the cops doesn't say a whole lot about their reputation. They are in the same position as every other web app or service provider: they have to abide by the laws or they will face heavy fines and legal actions. The thing that distinguishes providers is how much they are willing to contest court orders before complying with them.

Our take: Proton being based in Switzerland does in fact make it harder for the cops to access your data, and that is worthwhile for activists. Just remember that it doesn't prevent them from accessing your data.

That said, the biggest protection you get from using Proton is not from the company being located overseas, it is from your data being encrypted.

Summary of what data is encrypted, or not, when using Proton

Knowing what data could be turned over to law enforcement helps you make safe choices when using Proton.

✅ Encrypted data (can't be turned over to the cops)

  • The contents and titles of your documents/files
  • The contents of your emails with other Proton users
  • The contents of password-protected emails you send to non-Proton users

🟡 Partially encrypted, but not fully guaranteed

  • The contents of your emails to and from non-Proton users. These emails get encrypted when they arrive on or leave Proton's servers. But (as mentioned above) they arrive unencrypted, and Proton could theoretically be forced to intercept that unencrypted copy of the email. This has never been publicly reported and we think it is relatively unlikely. If this did happen, it would only apply to new emails. All existing emails would have already been encrypted when they were stored in your inbox.

❌ Unencrypted data (can be turned over to the cops)

Docs:

  • The email addresses of users you've shared the document with (this means a court could compel Proton to turn over all the email addresses shared on any of your documents)
  • File size, file type, modification date

Email:

  • Subject lines
  • The email addresses of anyone you send emails to
  • When the email was sent/received
  • The copy of an email that you sent that arrived in a non-Proton user's inbox (Proton could not turn it over, but the other email provider can read it and turn it over)

Account:

  • Your IP Address
  • The phone number or email address you set as your "recovery info" for your account (example case)
  • Your credit card (if you are on a paid plan)

Reasons you might dislike Proton as a company (even though we still recommend their services)

There is debate among activists about whether it's safe for us to use services from Proton. Proton's services are gaining a lot of adoption right now, which we think is a good thing because they enable safe emailing and doc/spreadsheet collaboration. But there are security caveats to the software as well as a number of reasonable concerns about the company that cause some activists to stay away from it.

We often get asked why we recommend Proton, so we wanted to offer a full explanation of what it protects, what it does not protect, how to ensure you are using it safely, and why we recommend it even though the company sometimes does shitty things. And in case we haven't convinced you, we also offer a list of other secure options.

1. Their CEO praised the Republican party and a Trump appointee

In January 2025, Proton's CEO praised the Republican Party and a Trump appointee. Some interpreted this as a sign that Proton was aligning themselves with authoritarian forces and that our data was no longer safe there. We take a different stance. We think this was a foolish misstep from a CEO who doesn't understand the political leanings of Proton's users. It was stupid and concerning, but most CEOs are terrible. If you have ethical objections to this and want to use another service, that makes sense. However, this is far from enough evidence to claim that the service itself is now no longer secure.

2. They cooperate with court orders where Swiss law requires it

When we hear about a company like Proton being compelled to give data to the FBI about activists, it's understandable to think that they are no longer trustworthy.

But as we mentioned above: this is true of every single provider out there. Unless they are willing to shut down to avoid a court order, every single one of them will eventually cooperate with the cops.

Some movement-aligned providers might use legal means to push back more to reduce the scope of the subpoena, which makes them worth considering. (See alternatives below.)

A more important question is whether a provider will collaborate with the cops without receiving a court order. For example, Ring sometimes gives over data when the cops simply ask for it, even without a court order. Proton has one public case where they suspended an account without a court order, but later reinstated it. There are no public cases of them turning over data without a court order.

You can look at the number of court orders that Proton contests and complies with on their transparency page.

3. Their marketing is overhyped and makes broad claims that mislead users into thinking they have more protection than they do

Proton's marketing often makes misleading claims about the amount of privacy and security you get with their services. For example, their marketing page for Proton Mail used to state that it was "anonymous email." We've shown above how that is not true in most cases. They now say "Private email" which is more accurate.

Similarly, their response to the FBI deanonymizing a Stop Cop City activist was terrible. They could have used it as an opportunity to educate users about how to use the service anonymously. Instead they got defensive and tried to mince words.

We think that this is a really bad practice because it leads to people trusting the service in situations where they shouldn't. That's a legitimate concern and we should keep pushing Proton to do better.

Overhyped marketing is dangerous to our community, but the core service is still secure and a big upgrade from using Google.

All of that said, we still think Proton is a good tool for certain types of risk profiles in activist communities. We hope that someday services will emerge that align with our values even more and are easy for beginners to use.

Even though we are recommending Proton, we should absolutely continue to pressure them to be accountable for their actions. We shouldn't need to write an article like this one. Many activists won't ever see this article and will only hear the advice "Proton is safer for activists" and may assume they are safer than they are.

What about Proton's other services?

If you're paying for Proton Ultimate (which gives you access to all of their services), you might want to use everything in their suite. That said, we think there are better options for most of their other products.

  • Proton VPN: We recommend it if you need a free option, but IVPN goes to greater lengths to protect your anonymity.
  • Proton Pass: It's fine, but 1Password is more user-friendly and Bitwarden has a free plan and is more powerful.
  • Proton Calendar: Actually a pretty good tool. However, it's hard to get an encrypted calendar to play nicely with other people's calendars.
  • Proton Authenticator: Also fine, better to use the authenticator built into 1Password if you use it already. If you need a standalone tool, use Ente Auth.
  • Proton Meet: Currently outsources to a US company, which means the US government can compel the company to turn over IP addresses of users. Better to use Signal group video calls or Zoom with end-to-end encryption turned on. (Always use a VPN.)

Proton alternatives

If you decide Proton's services aren't the right fit for you or your team, there are alternatives you can consider.

Docs/Sheets/Drive

  • Google Docs: Even with all the risks of using Google, we think it's actually a fine choice in some situations. If you aren't concerned with the cops having easier access to your data or the corporate surveillance that Google is always doing, it might be a fine choice for your email/docs.
  • CryptPad: Commonly used for document collaboration. If you need an encrypted alternative to Google Forms, CryptPad forms are a pretty good option.
  • Next Cloud Office: Requires technical skills to deploy and manage your own hosted version of the software. The interface is less user-friendly, but you're in full control of the data. For this it would be easiest to use a managed host (like Cloud68), or you can do it yourself (using something like Coop Cloud).

Email

  • Signal: Don't use email for sensitive communications. Use Signal.
  • RiseUp.net: Movement-aligned email provider. Requires an invite code from an existing member, though, which makes it hard to access for many folks. They offer "zero knowledge" encryption in a similar way Proton does. Here is an interview they did about the risk of receiving a wiretap.
  • Tuta: End-to-end encrypted email. Unlike Proton, the encryption doesn't work with other email providers. It only works when emailing other Tuta users, which makes it quite a bit less effective. Similar to Proton, it has a "password protected" email feature when emailing external users.

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