What Proton Mail Knows About You
Proton Mail operates in the Email space and has built its business around collecting extensive user data. This expose reveals the full scope of Proton Mail's data collection practices, privacy incidents, and what users can do to protect themselves. Understanding these practices is essential for anyone who uses Proton Mail's products or services.
Privacy Score
73GoodLower scores indicate more invasive data collection practices
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What Data Proton Mail Collects
Based on our analysis of Proton Mail's privacy policies, terms of service, and independent research, here is what they collect about you. Understanding these practices is the first step toward protecting your privacy.
Retains IP address logs and network connection metadata
Records voice interactions and retains audio transcripts
Sells aggregated user data to data brokers
Collects device identifiers and advertising IDs across all user devices
Harvests contact lists and phone books from user devices
Privacy Incidents
A record of known privacy incidents, data breaches, and regulatory actions involving Proton Mail. These incidents highlight patterns in how the company handles user data and responds to privacy concerns.
GDPR violation fine
European regulators imposed a significant fine for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation related to data processing practices.
Affected: European users
API vulnerability exposed user data
A public API vulnerability allowed unauthorized parties to scrape personal data from user profiles at scale.
Affected: Users with public profiles
What You Can Do
Practical steps you can take right now to protect your privacy and reduce your exposure to Proton Mail's data collection practices.
Review and restrict Proton Mail's privacy settings immediately
Request a copy of all data Proton Mail has collected about you
Use privacy-focused alternatives where possible
Enable all available privacy protections in Proton Mail's settings
Consider deleting your Proton Mail account if you no longer need the service
Use a VPN when accessing Proton Mail's services to limit IP tracking
Take Back Your Privacy
Tired of companies like Proton Mail profiting from your personal data? Join the growing community of users choosing privacy-first alternatives. Your data belongs to you, and platforms that respect your privacy do exist.
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