- Proton raised a record $1.27 million, awarding 10 Lifetime accounts
- Grants were awarded to 10 community-chosen digital rights groups
- Proton further backs a private, open internet with free tools
Proton’s 2025 Lifetime Account Charity Fundraiser generated $1.27 million for digital-rights organizations.
The news comes only a few days after the Trump administration decided to withdraw support from 66 internet freedom organizations, and continues to build on the company’s reputation as one of the best VPN and secure email providers.
The campaign offered 10 exclusive Proton Lifetime accounts and drew more than 100,000 ticket purchases from over 50,000 participants. The Proton Foundation added a further $200,000 from its reserves, pushing the total contribution well beyond the $1.2 million milestone and allowing a larger, record pool of funds to be allocated to grant recipients.
Since 2018, Proton has charitably donated more than $5 million in grants to aligned organizations.
The pooled money will now be divided among ten community-selected beneficiaries. A portion will also reinforce past grant recipients who continue to champion privacy, free speech, and an open internet.
Beyond the grants, Proton provides all its applications for free – especially to support people living in places where privacy is under threat – backs open-source tools that safeguard online freedom, and takes a leading role in combating surveillance and censorship.
Funding the front-line defenders of online rights
The ten organizations chosen by the Proton community for the 2025 fundraiser span the full spectrum of digital rights work.
European Digital Rights (EDRi) and Société Numérique (Digitale Gesellschaft) lead the human-rights advocacy effort, using litigation and policy campaigns to protect freedom of expression and personal privacy across Europe.
On the technical side, the NLnet Foundation focuses on open-source security and resilient internet infrastructure, improving encryption standards, and hardening the networking layers that keep the web functional and resistant to attack.
Witness Org, Lighthouse Reports, The Insider, and Transparency International are investigative journalism and transparency organizations that rely on secure communications to uncover abuse, corruption, and state-run surveillance.
Center for Humane Technology and Open Markets Institute drive ethical technology and public interest research, promoting responsible product design, algorithmic accountability, and competition policies.
Finally, Hack Club runs youth-focused and civic-education programmes, equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to protect their digital rights.
Proton’s multi-front approach to a private and open internet
While the fundraisers are a major engine for Proton’s efforts to keep the internet open and secure, the company also provides a suite of open-source, privacy-first tools at no cost for everyone.
Proton VPN Free offers unlimited data and a strict no-logs policy, providing users in restrictive regimes with reliable and uncensored access to the internet.
Proton Mail delivers end-to-end encrypted email, while Proton Drive supplies up to 5 GB of encrypted cloud storage free, ensuring personal files stay private even on shared devices. Proton Pass lets users store passwords and other credentials safely with end-to-end encryption.
During elections and periods of political censorship, Proton has even deployed free VPN servers so people can access uncensored news and information, allowing more open participation in democratic processes.
Proton doesn’t just build tools, but also pushes for legal and regulatory change. It co-founded advocacy coalitions like the Coalition for Competitive Digital Markets and the Coalition for App Fairness, which work to curb Big Tech dominance. The company has even taken direct legal action to defend competitiveness, joining a lawsuit against Apple over anti-competitive practices.
All of these actions combine to reinforce Proton’s core mission: safeguarding a free, private, and open internet for everyone.
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