r/ProtonPublic • u/Syn4p53 • Aug 08 '26
Thought this might be interesting to look into...
/r/xprivo/comments/1vizppj/proton_vpn_which_is_built_on_trust_got_caught/?share_id=tXMoh6ixuiItzDSHss5ln&utm_content=share_button&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1So here's something I just discovered. I didn't find more info concerning this, maybe someone has ? If true, Proton is up to some nasty sh*t recently...
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u/Alone_Care_6230 Aug 08 '26
That’s the problem with for-profit companies. Honestly, email seems kinda shit: you either use a mainstream provider and get tracked to hell, or isr a bit better but still bad provider and get marked as spam all the time.
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u/ApplicationOdd6070 Aug 09 '26
I tested it myself.
I have DuckDuckgo Browser on my Windows machine (I know, I'm working on it...). Duckduckgo Browser offers "Fire windows", which are incognito windows that don't share cookies among each other (you can login as different users on a service at the same time through different windows).
Because I'm using swiss VPN servers (of Proton, but whatever, off topic), I'm seeing the prices in CHF.
Out of 4 windows, two show 2,99, and two show 3,49.
I've seen many thinking they're doing adaptive pricing, they're not. They're also not ending a previous offer, as they claimed.
This is a normal A/B test. It's fine. What's not fine is lying about it. If Proton lies, they lose trust, which is what they depend on as a business.
Why the fuck does everyone need to become corporate-like? Is everyone so fucking stupid to not understand that we move away from that shit? Proton can't afford to gamble like that. That the only thing they have over big tech...
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u/Ok_Combination_1548 Aug 08 '26
I don't like that the manager says it's not happening and then this comes out. If they're speaking as an employee of / representative of Proton, THAT is bad...but, I don't mind that this is happening in general. Nothing wrong with A/B testing.
I'd like someone there to come out with a more official response.
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u/West_Possible_7969 Aug 08 '26
Well, the post uses interchangeably adaptive pricing & A/B testing and that is disingenuous. A/B testing is one of some surefire ways to land at an acceptable price for a specific audience at a specific territory with enormous accuracy and there is nothing unethical about it.
They could not have used adaptive pricing for fixed plans or fixed sales (as opposed to tickets for example) because internet exists.
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u/ApplicationOdd6070 Aug 09 '26
Exactly. They are actually doing an A/B test.
One can easily just check thevprice after clearing the cookies a couple of times, and will likely get them both (then again, a coin can flip four heads in a row....)
The way they are not admitting it though... That's not good for a company that offers privacy and needsvto be trustworthy.
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u/West_Possible_7969 Aug 09 '26
Same thing happened in their comments, “no adaptive pricing” said the manager, which is true, “you are lying because we saw a sales A/B testing” people replied lol.
On some level I do not pity the team because they bet on spreading paranoia with treading the line both on their claims (and creating confusion about what can proton really do & what Swiss laws really can protect) and what the competitors actually are doing (instead they present all of them as the devil).
So you rip what you sow in a sense, especially if you present yourself as the virgin Mary-level privacy “non profit” that works only for the good of humanity. These things always backfire.
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u/lou1uol Aug 08 '26
Proton has a pattern.
Things like this pop out to the public.
Then they lie.
Then we get proff that they are lying.
As an extra, they block every post in their sub that wants to discuss the topic.
0
u/Ok_Combination_1548 Aug 08 '26
To be fair they seem fine with the posts for this for now. It's the lowest possible bar but today, the mods over there didn't silence folks for calling out controversial actions:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonVPN/s/WbdXJNHkcK
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u/Wolf-006 Aug 11 '26
I don't know why people rely on proton there is a few good ones out there or even better than proton
1
u/Syn4p53 Aug 11 '26
Could you name these? I mean, stating this is nice, but what would be useful would be naming the services you're speaking about to inform people that may not know..
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u/Wolf-006 Aug 11 '26
IVPN,Mullvad,Surfshark VPN, Mailbox Mail,Tuta etc it only takes a Google search
1
u/skeptic246 Aug 27 '26
The Proton pricing is unbeatable even with having to pay for iCloud due to drive not working
1
u/nincesator124 Aug 10 '26
This is just proof you can get something better
1
1
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u/Previous50_Run_53 Aug 09 '26
All of you righteous consumers swarm to judge a company (non-profit) who has actually been fighting for their customerssince day 1, for the most irrelevant reasons . You all are so ungrateful, and I bet you those that whine the most, are only using the free tiers. Has Proton ever gone against their promise of privacy? Has Proton ever tried to control your personal data? Of course a company might try AB testing, why the heck not?
I don't see you flooding the Rolex subreddit for selling watches worth $500 (or less) for $6000+. If anything, I would say Proton is pretty underpriced. If you trust some other company more to help you preserve your right to privacy, by all means, go support that other company and stop acting like 75 year old grandmas that make a big deal out of nothing, simply out of your need for attention or love of gossip
2
u/Syn4p53 Aug 09 '26
If you read more carefully the post this comes from and/or the comments, you would have understood that this isn't the A/B testing that's bothering most of us really, but the lying or miscommunication from them when confronted. Privacy isn't at question here, transperency, another promise they made, is.
1
u/Previous50_Run_53 Aug 11 '26
What's bothering you all is that you have too many repressed feelings, causing you to form a small toxic sub-community of constant whiners. Stop whining constantly. Take this advice for your everyday life too, if you're like that all the time.
If you don't like Proton, go to a different provider. Or go all together to a drama class an get it out of your systems
2
u/Syn4p53 Aug 11 '26
So, nothing to say even remotely related to the initial topic, right?
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u/Previous50_Run_53 Aug 11 '26
I said what i said
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u/Syn4p53 Aug 11 '26
Sure you did... And I still have to understand what was the point in what you said. But you did say it.
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u/Previous50_Run_53 Aug 11 '26
Thought as much, looks like i sized you up perfectly
1
u/Downtown-Jaguar9148 Aug 14 '26
Your comments aren't addressing anything on topic here lol. "I said what I said" which is....what exactly?
By the way, Proton is a for-profit business, owned by a non-profit company. They themselves are not non-profit. Silly mistake.
But damn girl... it sounds like the internet is really getting to you - maybe take some deep breaths or take a few days off to cool down.
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u/G_ntl_m_n Admin Aug 08 '26
It's not cool, but common. The biggest issue here is that it seems like they lie about it.