After a lengthy beta period, ProtonMail, the easy-to-use encrypted mail service that launched on Indiegogo back in 2014, is now available to the general public via an open registration process.
Developed in Geneva, Switzerland, ProtonMail’s claim to fame is that it allows its users to send encrypted emails without the use of private or public encryption keys. Everything related to the end-to-end encryption of an email is handled by ProtonMail’s client.
Using ProtonMail, you also don’t need to worry about the other person not having the proper software. When it comes to emailing someone with a client that doesn’t support end-to-end encryption, say an Outlook or Gmail, the person on the receiving end will get a link to a password protected message that contains the content of the original email you sent. The company also announced the launch of its mobile app, available on Android and iOS.
While free to use, ProtonMail is preparing to launch paid and premium tiers that grant users access to additional features. Previously, the company depended on a donation model.
“Do people want to pay for privacy? We’ll know in a month or two what the outcome of that is,” said Andy Yen, the co-founder and CEO of ProtonMail, in an interview with Motherboard.
According to a recent report published by Google, a significant portion of the Internet traffic in Canada, including a large swath of popular websites like Aliexpress, is not secured with end-to-end encryption.
[source] ProtonMail [/source][via] Motherboard [/via]
