Thursday, December 14, 2023

Proton Drive for Mac

Tim Hardwick:

Swiss-based privacy startup Proton today announced the availability of its end-to-end encrypted cloud storage service for Mac users with the launch of its macOS app.

Proton Drive lets users sync files between Mac and the cloud, access files offline, and free up space on local drives. Unlike iCloud, all data (including metadata) is end-to-end encrypted by default, so that no-one – not even Proton – can see the files.

Richie Koch:

The main issue with Google Drive is it does a good job preventing external attackers from gaining unauthorized access to your files, but security should also mean that no one besides you and those you’ve shared a file with can access it. As this article explains, Google always retains access to your files and can share them with third parties, like law enforcement, at any time without your knowledge.

[…]

By using Google Drive, you give Google permission to scan and potentially remove your personal files at any time.

[…]

Google also uses this access to your data to train AI services, like its spell check and autocomplete features. There is no way to opt out of having your personal data used to develop these services, although Google says it anonymizes data before using it.

Previously:

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> Google says it anonymizes data before using it.

There's no such thing as anonymized data.

@freediverx Yeah, I would not count on that.

The external folder sync feature was not included with the initial release, but they will add it later.

https://proton.me/blog/proton-drive-mac-app

One major downside is that Excel files are excluded from version history support. I guess the app sends the server a message to discard previous versions of the file or they might be saved but not viewable.

There are several complaints on the subreddit, and macOS APFS issues probably don’t help. So be careful when using it on any platform.

You also can’t access external folders from other apps.

External folders are folders on your computer that are outside the sync folder.

Another downside of using Google drive is randomly losing your files.

https://mjtsai.com/blog/2023/11/28/google-drive-loses-months-of-customer-data/

@Proton Thrive I think the external folders limitations are due to File Provider Extensions, which Apple now requires.

Techdirt: Once More With Feeling: 'Anonymized' Data Is Not Really Anonymous

https://www.techdirt.com/2019/07/30/once-more-with-feeling-anonymized-data-is-not-really-anonymous/

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