The Brave Technologist

Fighting the Privacy Washing of Big Tech with ProtonMail

Mar 13, 2024

The podcast discusses the false sense of privacy presented by big tech, importance of privacy over anonymity, and impact of location on privacy rights. It also explores Proton's privacy-first marketing strategy, the cultural shift towards privacy, and the concept of owning your identity for privacy control.

35:54

Creator website

Episode guests

Andy Yen

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

ProtonMail emphasizes privacy as a marketing strategy to attract users and early adopters.

Cultural shift towards privacy mirrors environmental responsibility, shaping future Internet regulations.

Deep dives

Proton's Privacy-by-Default Ecosystem

Proton, led by CEO Andy Yen, offers a world-first privacy-by-default ecosystem with encrypted mail, calendar, VPN, file storage, and more, adhering to the principle of your data, your rules. Originating from the founder's background in physics at CERN, the focus shifted to privacy challenges in the digital age to safeguard democracy in a world where surveillance prevails. Proton's flagship products like VPN and mail aimed to secure users' identities effectively, addressing the escalating privacy concerns.

Seeking Knowledge in the Digital Age

01:24

Privacy vs. Anonymity: A Vital Distinction

01:19

Identifying Lead Users for Growth

00:55

Introduction

2min

From Physicist to Privacy Advocate: The Evolution of Proton's Mission

2min

Exploring ProtonMail's Product Strategy and Focus on Email for Privacy Control

2min

Navigating Privacy Challenges in Tech Development

4min

Navigating Privacy Challenges in Tech Applications

24min

User-Centric Approach and Transparency in Product Development

2min

Andy Yen, Founder & CEO at Proton, discusses how big tech is presenting a false sense of privacy to its users—and why this is dangerous. He also unpacks the confusion between privacy and anonymity, and how where you live impacts your right to each.

Key Takeaways:

How Proton has attracted users and early adopters while sticking to a privacy-first marketing strategy.
What we can learn from the cultural shift to environmental responsibility as it relates to privacy, and to the future rules of the Internet.
Why being in control of your privacy starts with owning your identity.

Guest Bio: Andy Yen is the Founder and CEO of Proton, one of the fastest growing consumer tech companies in Europe. Proton offers the world's first privacy-by-default ecosystem, providing encrypted email, calendar, file storage, VPN, identity management, and more, all built on the principle of “your data, your rules.” Andy launched Proton's first product, ProtonMail—now the world's largest encrypted email service—in 2014 while working as a CERN scientist. Since then, Andy has become a leading voice in the global privacy movement. Today, Proton has more than 100M accounts and a team of more than 400 people worldwide.

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About this Show:

The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all!

Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together.

The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API.

Music by: Ari Dvorin

Produced by: Sam Laliberte