- Almost three-quarters of UK users value end-to-end encryption
- Yet many Brits are unaware that their favorite apps don’t offer it
- Proton also warns against Big Tech’s privacy-washing tactics
Many people say they worry about who can see their online footprint. However, a new study from Proton, the company behind one of the best VPN and secure email services, suggests that reality doesn’t match these concerns, and the gap seems to be growing.
While most Brits say they care about their online privacy and value end-to-end encryption, they continue to rely on popular apps that don’t actually offer it.
The survey found that even among users who actively care about data protection, many overestimate how secure mainstream services really are. Experts warn that it’s more important than ever to understand which apps really protect your data.
What the research says about privacy in the UK
Proton’s research found that almost three-quarters (73%) of the UK population say end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is important when choosing digital services. Yet they often overestimate the security of the apps they use daily.
More than half of survey respondents (57%) described Gmail as either “very” or “somewhat” private, despite 27% mistakenly believing it offers end-to-end encryption.
Similarly, 19% of UK users incorrectly assume that Microsoft Outlook offers E2EE. This confusion extends beyond email clients as well, with some respondents believing that Google Drive encrypts files end-to-end.
The main concern here is scale. Huge volumes of sensitive messages, documents and personal data pass through these platforms every day. While many of these platforms may use encryption in transit or at rest, the providers still retain technical access – despite what many UK users think they are getting.
Why end-to-end encryption still confuses people
A major factor in this problem is that end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is widely misunderstood. In short, E2EE means that only the sender and recipient of any message can read its content – not the app’s provider, advertisers or third parties.
However, encryption alone does not guarantee complete confidentiality.
WhatsApp is a perfect example of this. Most UK users correctly recognize that it uses E2EE, but fewer realize that the provider still collects some ambient metadata. This data can be as revealing as message content.
Even when messages are encrypted end-to-end, apps that are “private enough” like WhatsApp collect large amounts of metadata: who you talk to, when, from where, and how often you communicate. Over time, companies use this information to build a picture of your habits and relationships.
Proton warns that in large Big Tech ecosystems, this data can also be reused in ways users don’t expect, such as for AI development and analysis. E2EE protects message content, but it does not protect the data around it; this distinction is where the main risks still remain
Proton points to “privacy washing” as a major factor at play here. Years of privacy-focused marketing have created false trust among users, leaving them vulnerable to long-term tracking and profiling despite their trust in the privacy their apps offer.
How to protect your online privacy
Protecting your privacy doesn’t mean abandoning the apps you use every day overnight. However, it does mean that you make more informed choices.
Proton’s advice is to start by learning which apps really use end-to-end encryption and to prioritize these for sensitive communications.
“In the age of artificial intelligence, what you once thought was private, such as your emails, photos and memories, can quietly be repurposed as training data for tech giants unless end-to-end encryption is used,” said Anant Vijay Singh, product manager for Proton Mail.
It’s also worth re-evaluating everyday tools like email, cloud storage and messaging apps, where “encrypted” doesn’t necessarily mean private. “Fortunately, switching your most used apps to privacy-focused alternatives is easier than ever,” said Vijay Singh.
For daily browsing, we also recommend using a secure VPN service – especially when connecting to a public Wi-Fi. A virtual private network (VPN) adds an extra layer of encryption around your online activities while also spoofing your IP address for added security.
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