Proton's AI Row Explained: Is Proton VPN Still Safe to Use?

Proton's boss called a request for extra security testing "loser thinking" - here is what happened, what Proton has promised, and whether your Proton VPN is still safe.

The short answer: nothing has been found wrong with Proton VPN, Proton Mail or any other Proton app.

The row is about how Proton builds its software, and that is worth knowing before you renew.

Here is the story in plain words, and what to watch next.

What Happened at Proton

• Late August: in a company Slack chat, an employee asked for a few days to security-test new code before release. CEO Andy Yen replied that this was "bullshit and loser thinking" and told staff to use AI more, according to 404 Media.
• 29 October: 404 Media published an investigation based on staff interviews, chat logs and audio from a company meeting. It described plans to re-interview almost every employee about how much they use AI.
• 30 October: Yen cancelled those re-interviews.
• 1 November: Proton's technology chief published the company's internal AI rules for engineers, which say an engineer's job is now "to help the LLM write better code faster".

Users were not happy. Many posted that they had cancelled, and a proposal on Proton's own feedback site asking Yen to step down passed 2,000 votes.

What Proton Has Promised

In a public statement, Proton said it had not lived up to the standard users expect. It made a few clear promises.

• Security first. Using AI "will never be at the expense of security".
• No AI job cuts. No re-interviews and no job losses over AI use.
• More openness. It plans to open-source some internal tools and explain how it reviews code and security.

So, Is Proton VPN Still Safe to Use?

As of today, yes. No security flaw, data leak or breach has been reported in any Proton product because of this row.

• The apps are open source. Anyone can read the code, and Proton says every app has been checked by outside security firms.
• The no-logs promise has been tested. Securitum audited Proton VPN's no-logs policy for the fourth year running in 2025 and found it "fully complies".
• Swiss company, same rules. Proton is still based in Geneva, and nothing about its privacy policy has changed.

What did change is trust in how the company makes decisions. If speed now beats careful testing, problems could show up later - which is why the next audits matter more than this week's headlines.

What to Watch Next

• The promised tools and review process. Proton said it will publish them - check whether they really appear.
• The next no-logs audit. Proton VPN has had one every year since 2022, so the next one should follow.
• Security reports. Any real bug found in a Proton app would change the answer, and we will update this page if that happens.

On Android, the same advice applies to Proton VPN for Android. If you use a VPN for streaming, our look at how broadcasters want VPNs to block pirate IPTV covers the other big VPN story this year.

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