2025 was a “watershed year” for digital privacy, according to Proton VPN’s General Manager, David Peterson.
The global landscape has been defined by a rise in age-verification laws and the expansion of digital surveillance — trends that Peterson argues have revealed “alarming erosions in privacy even in established democracies.”
So what does this watershed mark for Proton – a company with a belief that a better world starts with privacy and digital freedom?
Free VPN progress
The VPN market is notorious for free apps that harvest user data, but Proton has managed to carve out a niche by offering a truly secure, data-unlimited free product. In 2025, the company tried to improve this further by double the number of free server locations to 10.
This extension is designed to increase accessibility in regions facing sudden internet restrictions or social media blocks, while reducing slow speeds often caused by server overload.
However, there is still one important limitation: unlike the paid version, you still cannot manually choose which specific server you connect to. Privado VPN, which we consider the best free VPN, has 13 free server locations.
While the free tier is an entry-level version of the company’s paid service, it’s a suitable tool for those on restrictive regimes. In 2025, Proton reported significant spikes in use from Afghanistan to Venezuela under internet restrictions.
“We’ve made significant progress in expanding access to privacy tools for everyone,” Peterson said.
App development
While Proton is often praised for its mobile app, 2025 saw a concerted effort to bring feature parity to platforms like Apple TV and Linux. The introduction of NetShield – Proton’s ad and malware blocker – to its Apple TV app is a solid development to meet the increasing invasive tracking found in smart TV ecosystems.
The most requested update of the year was the return of a dedicated Linux command line interface (CLI). Published in early access in late Octoberthe new CLI is a ground-up rewrite designed for speed and scriptability.
It is currently a basic release – the CLI is limited to the WireGuard protocol and lacks some important features like a kill switch or NetShield. If you’re a Linux power user, it might be worth considering NordVPN since it recently became one.
If you’re a Linux power user, it might be worth considering NordVPN, as recently open source its Linux GUI. Proton maintains the edge here, however: unlike many rivals, Proton’s entire application suite has been open source and independently audited for years, a fact that remains a major draw for the privacy-hardened Linux community
Improved infrastructure
Proton’s most important development of the year was arguably not a visible feature, but a structural one. In October, the company announced that it had begun work on a new, internal VPN architecture.
The company said it is “rapidly outgrowing” the limitations of off-the-shelf protocols and claimed the new architecture will help improve speeds, reliability and create stronger anti-censorship capabilities.
It also lays the groundwork for Post-Quantum Encryption (PQE), which will future-proof the enterprise and help protect against “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks. These attacks involve the theft of encrypted data with the intention of cracking it when quantum computers become capable and available.
In implementing PQE, Proton joins others in the industry. It follows them as ExpressVPNwhich integrated post-quantum protection into its Lightway protocol, and NordVPN.
What is planned in 2026
In 2026, Proton will build on this foundation by rolling out its new architecture across its entire network. Peterson noted that the company is “very excited” about the future of its Linux CLI, which will evolve to meet the community’s demand for precise, scriptable control.
So far, Proton’s efforts seem to be working. In our latest round of reviews, we moved Proton VPN to our #3 spot in our best VPN guidewhich is only behind NordVPN and Surfshark. As the new architecture begins to take shape, the gap between the top three could become even smaller.
The company will also work to advance its Proton VPN for Business product by adding greater admin controls and superior threat detections. After the Louvre theft earlier this year, Proton offered cultural institutions two years of access to its professional password manager product, Proton Pass, for free.
The road ahead
It’s clear that Proton is focused on building tools for a more hostile internet: whether it’s the transition to PQE or the design of new anti-censorship features. These developments are all a response to a changing world.
According to Peterson, the coming year represents a defining moment for digital privacy. There is an “urgent, growing threat from both authoritarian regimes and regulatory overreach in open societies, reinforcing why VPNs are more important than ever,” he said.
As we move into 2026, the success of Proton’s new architecture will be a significant litmus test. If the company can deliver on its promise of faster, more resilient and “quantum-safe” connections, it could represent an important counterbalance to the ongoing erosion of online privacy.
