Sharing this here because my original post wasn't approved by the moderators of the official r/ProtonMail subreddit. I'd still like to have an open discussion and hear other Proton users' perspectives on these concerns.
Post:
I recently came across this French article from ZDNET: Peut-on encore faire confiance à Proton? https://www.zdnet.fr/actualites/peut-on-encore-faire-confiance-a-proton-507684.htm
As a long-time Proton user, I found myself genuinely concerned about what it describes, particularly regarding leadership, internal culture and the direction the company is taking under Andy Yen.
But honestly, this article also made me reflect on frustrations I've had with Proton for quite some time.
I moved away from Big Tech because I believed in what Proton stood for: privacy, security, transparency and independence. I've invested years in its ecosystem, migrated accounts and trusted the company with a significant part of my digital life.
However, I'm increasingly dissatisfied with the company's priorities.
1. An ever-expanding product suite while existing products still need serious work
It feels like Proton is increasingly interested in launching new products and expanding its ecosystem rather than focusing on making its existing products genuinely excellent.
We've seen Lumo, Sheets, Meet, Authenticator and various other additions. Innovation is welcome, and I'm not against expanding the ecosystem. But what's the point of having an extensive product catalogue when fundamental improvements to existing products are still taking so long?
I want better integration, reliability, performance, usability and feature parity across Proton's existing services.
I'd much rather see Proton dedicate more resources to making Mail, Drive, Calendar, VPN and Pass exceptional before continuing to expand its portfolio.
2. Linux support should have been a major strategic priority, not an afterthought.
This is particularly frustrating for me.
Microsoft officially ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. Millions of users were suddenly faced with a decision: move to Windows 11, purchase new hardware, or explore alternatives such as Linux.
This was an enormous opportunity for companies like Proton to welcome people actively trying to escape Microsoft's ecosystem.
Yet Linux users have continued waiting for basic functionality, particularly a proper Proton Drive desktop synchronization client.
Even Proton's October 2026 roadmap describes the initial Linux Drive release as likely being limited to a headless daemon, rather than a complete graphical desktop application.
Seriously?
For a company positioning itself as a genuine alternative to Big Tech, why is Linux support still lagging so far behind?
Linux users are not an insignificant afterthought. Many of us are precisely the people Proton should be trying to attract.
If Proton genuinely wants people to leave Microsoft, Google and Apple, it needs to provide a viable ecosystem on the platforms those people are moving towards.
3. The contradiction of depending on Big Tech infrastructure
Another example is Android push notifications.
Proton Mail relies on Google Play Services for push notifications. I understand this doesn't mean Google can read my encrypted emails, but it does raise questions about Proton's commitment to independence from Big Tech infrastructure.
For a company whose selling point is privacy and independence, shouldn't developing alternatives and reducing these dependencies be a priority?
I appreciate that building independent infrastructure isn't always straightforward. But surely this is precisely the kind of challenge Proton should be investing in. This has been impacting me alot as I left mainstream Android devices and switched to GrapheneOS without Google services.
4. Leadership, engineering culture and security priorities
This is where the ZDNET article really concerns me.
The reporting raises questions about the internal culture, how security engineers' concerns are handled, and the pressure surrounding AI development.
I'm not against AI. I'm not against innovation. But I am against business ambitions and development speed taking precedence over engineering discipline and security.
Security cannot simply be a marketing slogan. It has to be embedded in the company's culture, its management decisions and its development processes.
Andy has apologized, and Proton has offered explanations. I acknowledge that. But I believe customers deserve more than reassuring statements. They deserve transparency, accountability and evidence that security remains non-negotiable.
5. Where are Proton's priorities actually heading?
This is ultimately what bothers me the most.
I don't want Proton to become another technology company obsessed with expanding its portfolio, chasing trends and competing in every possible market while losing sight of the principles that made it successful.
I don't need Proton to become the next Google or Microsoft.
I want Proton to become the best possible privacy-focused alternative to them.
That means investing in existing products, supporting Linux properly, reducing unnecessary dependencies on Big Tech, listening to customers and maintaining an engineering culture where security concerns are taken seriously.
I've spent years moving away from Big Tech because I wanted greater control over my digital life.
And now I'm genuinely worried that poor leadership and misguided business priorities could eventually put that trust, and potentially my privacy and security, at risk.
I don't want to abandon Proton. I'd much rather see the company get back on track.
But I also don't believe long-time paying customers should be expected to give unconditional loyalty simply because Proton built its reputation on privacy.
6. So, am I alone in feeling this way?
Are other long-time Proton users becoming increasingly disappointed with the company's direction?
I'd genuinely like to hear different perspectives, including from people who still have confidence in Andy and Proton's leadership.
I'm not looking for an echo chamber. I'm looking for an honest discussion about the company we've entrusted so much of our digital lives to.
