Internet access, privacy ‘essential for freedom’, says Proton chief

Yen poses at the headquarters of the encrypted email and VPN services company in Geneva on Feb,21, 2023. Internet privacy company Proton can spot attacks on democracy in a country before it hits the headlines, simply by watching demand for its services explode, its chief said. — AFP

GENEVA: Internet privacy company Proton can spot attacks on democracy in a country before they hit the headlines, simply by watching demand for its services explode, its chief told AFP.

When Russia blocked access to independent news sites following its invasion of Ukraine a year ago, the small company which provides virtual private networks (VPNs) saw “a 9,000% increase in sign-ups over just a period of a few days”, company chief executive Andy Yen said in an interview last week.