Proton is rolling out several new features for its VPN service. Besides adding new servers to 12 different countries, developers are introducing new anti-censorship features, such as the Stealth Protocol support on Windows, app masking on Android, and more.
New Proton VPN servers are now available in the following countries: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Yemen. Developers claim their goal is to support freedom of speech and "protect users in the event of government crackdowns and censorship."
Proton VPN users can now access the Stealth Protocol on Windows, which is a special tool designed to combat anti-VPN measures and disguise VPN traffic as regular traffic. Besides censorship, some services feature VPN-detection tools and can block VPN connections, preventing users from accessing them. Proton Stealth can help you with that. Until now, it has only been available on macOS, Android, and iOS. Starting today, Proton Stealth is also available on Windows.
There is a new privacy feature for those using Proton VPN on Android. With the latest update, users can mask Proton VPN with discreet icons to make the service look completely different, unrelated to the VPN application. The idea is to protect users in case someone confiscates their phones and conducts random searches.
David Peterson, General Manager of Proton VPN, said the following about the latest update:
It has become increasingly common for authoritarian governments to go beyond purely online technical measures to discourage or block VPN use. Certain countries have even begun demanding citizens hand over their smartphones for physical inspection.
Protecting free speech and fighting censorship is a core part of our mission and we"re committed to doing what we can to help users around the world. With today’s announcements, we hope to give people the tools they need to bypass censorship and access a free and fair internet, wherever they are.
You can learn more about the latest Proton VPN updates here.