August 6, 2024 at 10:19AM
Proton VPN has introduced updates to its Windows and Android apps, including a ‘Discreet Icon’ feature to mask the app as weather or notes. The ‘Stealth’ anti-censorship protocol is now available on Windows, aiding in disguising VPN traffic. Additionally, new servers in countries with restricted digital freedom have been added to enhance user security and privacy.
After reviewing the meeting notes, here are the key takeaways:
Proton VPN has introduced a series of updates to its Windows and Android apps to help users combat censorship, circumvent blocks, and protect themselves from authoritarian governments, particularly in countries where VPN tools are banned.
The standout features include the addition of a ‘Discreet Icon’ setting, allowing users to disguise the Proton VPN app icon as another innocuous app, such as a weather, notes, or calculator app. This feature aims to help users in oppressive regimes avoid prosecution by law enforcement for having VPN apps on their devices.
The addition of the ‘Stealth’ anti-censorship protocol to the Proton VPN Windows client is expected to significantly enhance users’ privacy and censorship bypassing capabilities, allowing them to communicate freely even in heavily monitored environments.
Proton VPN is expanding its server infrastructure to include new servers in twelve countries at the bottom of the Freedom House Index and Democracy Index lists, such as Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. These servers, located in nearby countries, will provide local servers available to protect users in the event of government crackdowns and censorship.
All of these updates are immediately available to all Proton VPN users, and users are encouraged to update to the latest app version for their platform to enable these features through the settings menu.