Proton, the Swiss-based pro-privacy productivity app maker, has set a new benchmark after bringing document creation, editing, and collaboration capabilities to its secure cloud storage offering. Documents in Proton DriveAs the new product is branded, following the acquisition of secure note-taking app Standard Notes in april,
Proton launched its end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) cloud storage service, Proton Drive, in 2014. September 2022Starting with web support Expansion to mobile followed later that year,
New collaborative document features are being made available inside Proton Drive, extending the company’s trademark of strong security to another key productivity tool for both information workers and individuals.
Proton is pitching the combination of Docs into Proton Drive as a secure and privacy-focused alternative to Google Drive and Docs, as the latter’s rival products lack Proton’s flagship zero-knowledge architecture.
“This landmark addition to Proton’s suite of privacy-focused products provides a strong alternative to existing document editors like Google Docs, ensuring privacy and security are paramount — without compromising on critical features,” the company wrote in a statement. blog post,
E2E encryption refers to a technical architecture whereby the entity providing the software is unable to access user content because it does not have the encryption keys. This allows Proton to make a confident pledge of privacy that provides a clear differentiator against data-dependent business models like Google.
“Docs offers the same encryption as Proton Drive, meaning all content is protected by E2EE,” a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch. “Even changes and keystrokes are encrypted, as well as file names and file paths.”
The company also said, “Creating collaborative documents that maintain E2EE was incredibly difficult, and something we haven’t seen anyone else in the market do. This includes key exchange and synchronized key information, as well as the ability to invite people to collaborate and revoke those permissions, as well as share documents privately.”
Proton says it will update Its website Over the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out more details about how Docs works behind the scenes. The company said it has already launched the upgraded software Sharing Features on Proton Drive a few weeks ago in anticipation of this launch.
According to Proton, Proton Drive includes popular and “essential” features in Docs, such as full support for Markdown and rich text, code blocks, and checklists. It also confirmed compatibility for multiple file types, including Microsoft .docx, and the ability to embed images in documents.
Collaboration features include the ability to add and reply to (and resolve) comments, and see who else is viewing a document in real time with a “collaborator cursor.” Invitations to collaborate on documents are also supported; participants without a Proton account will be prompted to create a free account to gain access, which could help spur additional registrations and boost its growth.
In line with Proton’s freemium principle, the new document features can be accessed for free through Proton Drive, which offers up to 5GB of free storage. After this limit, users wishing to access the document capabilities will need to upgrade to Drive’s paid tier.
Many more features are in the development pipeline. Proton said its roadmap will aim to enhance the user experience and productivity, starting with more powerful collaboration tools for teams. Given Proton’s security pledge, it is offering Docs in Drive to businesses that are subject to high data security compliance requirements, such as industries like healthcare, media, finance, and legal. However, individual users can also benefit.
The company has confirmed that the code for the documents will be open-sourced “soon”, allowing independent auditing and verification of its security claims.
In another reassuring move for users, last month Proton announced that Changes to the Nonprofit Foundation Structure ModelWith the new foundation becoming the majority shareholder in the (for-profit) business, it said the governance change is designed to safeguard its pro-privacy mission for the long term, so that it can become self-sustaining and independent of other commercial agendas.
The app maker, which was founded a decade ago as an E2EE webmail service (ProtonMail), has expanded its use over the years by offering a range of pro-privacy freemium productivity-focused apps, including its cloud storage service as well as a calendar app, VPN, and Password Manager Tools,
Proton now has over 100 million total user accounts, and 500 employees operating all of its technology.
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