Proton VPN joins forces with Deutsche Welle in the fight against censorship
Users of Proton VPN, one of the best VPN services out there, now have more ways to fight online censorship – without having to pay for it.
The Swiss company Proton VPN has established cooperation with the German media Deutsche Welle (opens in a new tab) offer people around the world direct access to reliable and independent information content.
In particular, the virtual private network provider introduced a series of dedicated servers optimized to provide high-speed access to DW websites and video content whenever it is censored. Moreover, they are available to both free and paid subscribers on all desktop and mobile apps.
This partnership, the first of its kind, is just the latest effort in a long list of Proton VPN’s ongoing commitment to promoting a free and safe internet for all.
We’ve partnered with @DeutscheWelle to defend independent media around the world. Now all #ProtonVPN users can bypass government censorship and connect to #DeutscheWelle news sites via dedicated high-speed servers. Read more about it here: pic.twitter.com/FunpparLyPMarch 6, 2023
Unlocking “access to the truth” worldwide
“Free access to information is under attack on a scale we’ve never seen before”he said Andy Yen (opens in a new tab), Founder and CEO at Proton. He continued: “DW has a long history of defending free speech, as does Proton VPN, and we look forward to working together to unlock access to the truth around the world.”
A Proton spokesperson explained to TechRadar that these dedicated servers provide consumers of DW content in censored countries with the speed and security of Proton’s paid VPN servers – while remaining completely free. Countries where the media is currently banned include Turkey and Russia.
In order to access and use the servers, users must first download the Proton app to their desktop or mobile device. By typing “news” in the server search bar, a list of servers with the DW logo will appear – whether you’re using a paid or free VPN service. Users can choose from servers located in the USA, the Netherlands or Japan.
This partnership demonstrates both companies’ commitment to defending free speech around the world; giving people access to the information they need without censorship or oversight.
There are three simple steps to access and use the servers:
- Charge Proton desktop or mobile app.
- Find a server typing “news” in the search bar.
- To combine to one of the servers with the DW logo.
Whether you use Proton’s paid or free VPN service, users can choose from dedicated DW servers located in the United States, the Netherlands, and Japan.
This partnership demonstrates both companies’ commitment to defending the right to free speech around the world; giving people access to the information they need without censorship or oversight.
“We are very happy to partner with a company that is as committed as we are at DW to protecting the online privacy of activists, journalists and others while giving them free, unrestricted access to the open internet.”says Guido Baumhauer (opens in a new tab)Managing Director for Distribution, Marketing and Technology at DW.
He also praised the way Proton VPN handles user data, to very high security standards, as another reason to work with the Swiss provider.
Proton has a long history of promoting online freedom. This includes a new obfuscated (invisible) VPN protocol to avoid censorship and alternate routing via Secure Core technology, as well as a fully fledged privacy ecosystem; including a secure and encrypted email service, storage and calendar.
When asked about future initiatives, a Proton spokesperson told TechRadar: “We cannot say whether this will expand to other media organizations in the future, but we can say that we are totally committed to ensuring that as many people around the world as possible have free access to the internet and bypass censorship and surveillance.”
We hope more VPN providers will follow suit, supporting free speech and protecting both truth seekers and journalists around the world.
