Proton Launches Privacy-Focused Alternative to Word and Google Docs – Computerworld

Proton has unveiled an encrypted document editor that aims to provide an alternative to Microsoft Word and Google Docs for privacy-conscious users.

The Docs in Proton Drive app, unveiled Wednesday by the Swiss software vendor best known for its encrypted email app, includes many of the document creation features office workers might expect.

Users can create and edit documents, share them with colleagues for real-time collaboration, leave comments and replies, and import and export popular file types like .docx and .txt. The app is available on Proton Drive, an encrypted cloud storage service launched by the provider in 2022.

However, it’s the end-to-end encryption, not the document editing features, that makes Proton’s editor stand out from other popular alternatives on the market.

Only clients have access to the end-to-end encryption keys, meaning any data entered into a document in Proton Docs is inaccessible to Proton, the company said. This includes keystrokes and cursor movements.

As Anant Vijay, senior product manager for Proton Mail and Proton Drive, said in a blog post, the privacy measures in Proton Docs contrast with apps like Google Docs, which can “see everything you write and save any changes you make.”

“Once you give these companies access to your data, you no longer have control over how it’s used,” he said, citing growing concerns about software vendors’ ability to train their AI algorithms on customer data.

There is also a risk that the data contained in the documents will become available if the provider’s server is hacked.

Another advantage of Proton Docs, the company says, is that user data is stored on Proton’s cloud servers in Switzerland. Strict Swiss data protection laws ensure that information stored on Proton’s servers is not subject to access by government authorities in the EU or the US, for example.

The Docs rollout for Proton Drive customers begins today, and the feature will be available to all users in the “next few days,” Proton said. Proton Drive is available to consumers on a freemium model, with individual subscriptions costing up to €10 per month (currently about $10.80) billed annually. Proton for Business subscriptions start at €7 per user per month.