Apart from China and Russia, the USA also has some pretty invasive mass surveillance laws, some of which operate in secret. So seeing countries outside the Five-Eyes nations launching more privacy respecting services is always very welcome to see.
As with all Proton services, Docs put you back in control of your data. Thanks to our open-source end-to-end encryption, you are the only one with the key to read and share your documents. Not even Proton can access your docs content or metadata (such as file names). Instead of storing your data in the US, where it can be subject to government surveillance, Proton is protected by strict Swiss privacy laws (new window).
Docs in Proton Drive will also support the option to embed images and invite various collaborators, though they will need at least a free Proton account, so the company can ensure the secure environment remains intact. Further, you’ll be able to see who is viewing the document, as well as where they are working, using similar collaborative cursors to what’s in Google Docs.
With Proton Drive and Docs, you now have a secure, privacy-first cloud storage and productivity alternative. If you’re working in law firms or healthcare, you can draft contracts and manage patient data in compliance with privacy laws. Journalists, content creators, and entrepreneurs can keep their projects protected from data leaks and Big Tech surveillance (no AI snooping on your work).
Of course, there are also self-hosted alternatives such as CryptPad, and some providers also host these services online. They provide a nearly identical service, also with E2EE, so it is also worth considering.
Just no spreadsheets, nor presentations I see, in Proton Docs yet.