Proton Sheets Launches as Encrypted Alternative to Google Sheets

[bluecoast]

Great. They are slowly replacing every default app on a phone. How long before Proton releases their own fork of Android?

Interesting take!

I suspect that they are more focussed on being a leading company in the Eurostack initiative.

They seem to more have ms office 365 online and GWS in their sights than at the OS level.

They haven’t released a web browser either - I reckon that what Firefox is doing suits them just fine.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if they start to partner with b2b companies who are releasing their own Google free android devices for European businesses, non profits and governments.

 

[Ctrlos]

Or just load up Numbers with your WIfI off.

 

[DB2k]

an alternative for google sheets is like suggesting alternative products Aldi/Lidl sell..

 

[chmania]

You know why Google is free right?

I know why Google is free, and I don't mind. I've had my Google account since July 2007, and I've used Google Maps since it became available. I tried using Apple Maps, but ended up dropping it. I had to buy a MacBook, so while Numbers is free, the MacBook was not. Google Services are accessible on any device, even those with Huawei Kirin chips. That's the difference. If you want to pay, you're more than welcome to use Proton.

Any spreadsheet sent by email can be opened in Google Sheets with just one click. Simple! And free!

 

[Bkxmnr]

Is this for crime organisation tax returns?

Do criminal organizations pay taxes?

 

[anakin44011]

Citation needed.

Somewhere there's a joke about an electron...but it is too early for my brain to construct it.

...and then someone is going to point out that Electron is yet another software platform trying to solve problems that 99% of users don't know exist.


That said...I'm sure there are many use cases for Proton's SW just as there's a business case for Proton to exist/finance/hire/train/deploy. However, for $155/user/year...there must more differentiation that I'm just not seeing.

 

[cjsuk]

Are you talking about emails of spreadsheets? Because this thread and article is about spreadsheets

The point is they are overstating their security guarantees. And their software is not open for inspection. So you shouldn’t trust the marketing claims.

 

[UliBaer]

(...) And their software is not open for inspection. So you shouldn’t trust the marketing claims.

🤔

An open source privacy company | Proton

All our apps (Proton Mail, Proton Drive, etc) are open source and independently audited. Anyone can inspect our software and confirm our encryption works.

proton.me

 

[cjsuk]

🤔

An open source privacy company | Proton

All our apps (Proton Mail, Proton Drive, etc) are open source and independently audited. Anyone can inspect our software and confirm our encryption works.

proton.me

Including their infrastructure provisioning, key management, access control systems and office software?

Nope.

And that's irrelevant as well because the entire idea is fundamentally flawed as explained earlier.

----

Edit: Also can you really verify what they have in their repositories is what ships to you and is what you are using?

Unless all these absolutes are true, and there are a lot of them in this model, then the system is critically flawed. A flawed system has no security guarantees. It's arguably worse than having no security guarantees as you are under the impression that you have security guarantees in place.

 

[jkratz.36]

Including their infrastructure provisioning, key management, access control systems and office software?

Nope.

And that's irrelevant as well because the entire idea is fundamentally flawed as explained earlier.

----

Edit: Also can you really verify what they have in their repositories is what ships to you and is what you are using?

Unless all these absolutes are true, and there are a lot of them in this model, then the system is critically flawed. A flawed system has no security guarantees. It's arguably worse than having no security guarantees as you are under the impression that you have security guarantees in place.

Thank you for the rational thought here. It's amazing to me the number of people that point to "it's open source!" like it's the Holy Grail and solves all problems. Open source is great but how do we know what they're running on their infrastructure? At the end of the day it's still about a level of trust and always has to be.

That said I don't think they're making things up and yes they get audited. It would be terribly bad for business for them to be lying. But to think that their encryption solves much is funny.

 

[TwoBytes]

Do criminal organizations pay taxes?

Very good point.
Maybe then money laundering Walter white style?