Want to keep your schedule private? Try the fully-encrypted ProtonCalendar
What's the story
If you have grown tired of using Google/Microsoft's Calendars (and sharing personal data with them in the process), there is a new solution on offer - from the house of Proton.
The company, which is known for its super-secure ProtonMail, has developed ProtonCalendar, a first-of-a-kind fully-encrypted calendar that will keep all your data, including schedules/events, private.
Here's all about it.
Problem
Most calendar apps lack the security we want
While there are plenty of calendar apps for all platforms, only a few match the security standard many people expect.
Mostly calendar products are designed with special focus on features such as auto-event updating, parallel syncing with other apps, much like how Google Calendar syncs with Gmail and notifies about upcoming interviews, meetings, appointments et al.
Now, this leaves the security side little attended.
Advertising
Plus, Proton says companies use calendar for targeting ads
As per Proton, many large corporations behind calendar apps even use event information fed by users to know about their life and target ads.
"These companies snoop on your calendar and use that information to inform their advertising," the company wrote in a blog post. "A calendar is more than just a tool. It's a record of the moments that make up your life."
Solution
ProtonCalendar tackles this problem
To tackle this issue once and for all, ProtonCalendar has been launched as part of ProtonMail version 4.0.
The service comes with full encryption and secures all the elements, from locations and titles to participants and description, of an event being created.
This way, neither a third party nor Proton itself could see what events/appointments you have scheduled.
Roll out
As of now, the service is in early beta testing
Currently, ProtonCalendar is available as part of a beta trial for ProtonMail users with a paid plan.
However, the company says it will eventually expand this product for all users, making sure that everyone could "plan dinner with friends without announcing to Google who will attend."
It also promised to add features like calendar, event sharing to the product in the near future.