proton launches new subscription tier for families

Privacy tech firm Proton launched today a new subscription tier called Proton Family that allows up to six family members to access Proton’s email, calendar, secure file storage, and VPN under a shared plan.

Proton Family gives parents an easy and cost-effective way to protect their entire family’s online privacy and security. Family members gain access to Proton’s premium features like secure email addresses, a shared calendar, 3TB of encrypted cloud storage, and a virtual private network (VPN). All with end-to-end encryption that safeguards data from outsiders, including Proton itself.

The Family Plan costs €19.99 per month (about $3.33 per person) and includes 3TB of shared storage that grows by 20GB yearly. Family members have their own encrypted email inboxes and calendars while sharing files and storage as needed.

“When you’re a parent, you do everything you can to prepare for the unexpected and keep your family safe. But extending this protection online is difficult unless you’re particularly tech-savvy — until now” said Proton CEO Andy Yen in a blog post published today.

“The Proton Family plan lets you protect your loved ones by giving them access to all Proton services and premium features”, Yen emphasized.

These Are the Benefits of Proton’s Family Members

Founded by scientists at CERN in 2014, Proton is based in Switzerland and leverages strong Swiss privacy laws to keep data safe. Unlike companies reliant on advertising revenue, Proton has no incentive to access users’ information without permission.

Proton offers free encrypted email, storage, calendar, and VPN apps with premium subscriptions that remove ads and boost limits. The Proton Family Plan aims to spread those benefits throughout households.

Proton Family subscribers can:

  • Invite up to six family members.
  • Share 3TB of encrypted cloud storage that grows over time.
  • Gain full access to premium versions of Proton Mail, Drive, Calendar, and VPN.
  • Soon integrate Proton Pass, a new password manager.

Proton CEO Andy Yen said that the Family Plan helps make online security accessible and easy for non-tech-savvy families. The plan blocks spam, protects devices from malware and identity theft, and warns of phishing attempts.

Families can either upgrade an existing Proton account or sign up directly for Proton Family. Other family members can then be invited to join.

Proton promises that its first and only obligation is to the Proton community. The privacy firm aims to advance digital freedom through open-source technologies available to all.

Proton Family gives parents an affordable, turnkey solution for securing the interconnected digital lives of their entire household. Family members gain the benefits of Proton’s established privacy and security features under a centralized, easy-to-manage plan.

There Are More than 100 Million Proton Accounts

In mid-April this year, Yen announced that the app had surpassed 100 million accounts roughly 9 years after it was initially conceived in the cafeteria of the CERN. Initially, Proton aimed to provide end-to-end encryption to e-mail services.

Now it has been turned into a far-reaching privacy solution that can protect users from having their data harvested and exploited by third parties.

Back in 2014 when the company was founded, the capital needed to build the e-mail encryption solution was raised via a crowdfunding campaign that ultimately brought $500,000 from 10,000 backers via the Indiegogo platform.

According to data from PitchBook, the latest funding round for Proton took place in October 2020 when the company raised $4.26 million from private investors. Earlier in 2015, the firm raised $2 million from a group of venture capitalists led by Charles River Ventures and the Fondation Genevoise pour l’Innovation Technologique (FONGIT).

Meanwhile, in 2019, Proton received a €2 million grant from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program to keep moving forward with its mission to protect consumers’ privacy on the world wide web.

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