This new addition known as “Discreet Icons” was released by Proton, the Swiss tech company famous for its encrypted email service, for its Proton VPN users. The idea behind it is simple yet powerful: that is, if you are in a country where using a VPN could get you into trouble, the last thing you would want is for the authorities to take a quick glance at your phone and see the VPN app. It is like your Proton VPN was hiding in the crowd because it does not seem so apparent among the applications on your device.
Why This Need for a Disguise?
David Peterson, the general manager of Proton VPN, notes that we now find ourselves in a world where some governments are going out of their way to either ban or at the very least frown upon the use of VPNs. It is not only about attempting to curb internet activity online; there are places where police may even want to search your phone. This is where the so-called “Discreet Icons” feature can come in handy, and help you at least minimize the fact that you are using a VPN.
However, this is not the perfect world and this is not a fool proof method. If one’s phone is saturated with apps, this could make it slightly more difficult for an adversary to instantly identify Proton VPN.
Android Gets all the Goodies First
Now if you are an iPhone user, you might be thinking ‘what for me?’ According to the Proton, Apple has a more strict configuration for developers and thus this unfair feature does not exist there. But there’s a good reason Proton’s focusing on Android: most of the individuals who require these elements of privacy are operating Android devices, which can be prominent in areas with strict Internet censorship. Therefore, Android users are lucky to be provided with these features first – you never know? Perhaps, iPhone users will be able to do so in the future.
Liberation of Servers
But that’s not all. Proton is also making its VPN offering more robust by increasing server locations in countries where freedom on the internet is at risk. The existence of Freedom House Index and The Democracy Index shows that Proton is planning to establish its services in countries such as Afghanistan, Libya and Sudan – countries where states might be gradually restricting access to the internet. These new servers are like secret tunnels, providing individuals in these countries with a possibility to have unrestricted, censor-free Internet, come what may.
Windows Users: Going Incognito
And here’s some more good news: ProtonVPN is now going to introduce more features in its Stealth VPN protocol to Windows PC customers. In case you are unaware, Stealth mode is a veil for your web connection that makes it seem such that it is not hacking at all. This makes it more difficult for the ISP’s or to put it plainly the government to monitor what you are doing on the internet. It has been available on iOS, Android, and macOS, and now Windows has its share of it as well.
VPNs: Another Security Blanket in Times of Crisis
Proton’s updates could not be more timely as the Internet and VPNs are the only means of communication in politically charged states. From voting contestation in Venezuela to anti-government protests in Bangladesh, the public uses VPNs for communication and to maintain privacy.
