ProtonMail gets encrypted contact list

ProtonMail gets an encrypted database for contacts. As a result, the service itself cannot see which contacts a user has and it is also impossible for an intruder to change details of contacts, something that is possible with other contact databases.

The encrypted Contacts Manager is in ProtonMail from version 3.12, the company says. The name and email address of contacts remain unencrypted, because otherwise the contact list would not function within the mail service. However, those data are provided with a digital signature, which guarantees that no one has changed the data.

Other data such as the telephone number and notes are encrypted. Only the user can request and edit it himself. As a result, users can be sure that third parties will not be able to view the data contained therein in the event of a hack of the service. The company cites journalists with anonymous sources as an example of a profession that benefits from that position, but activists in countries with repressive regimes could also benefit from it, for example.

For now, the feature only works in the web version of ProtonMail, but will also be available for the apps on iOS and Android in the near future. The contact database will also be able to store public keys next year, something that is practical when sending emails via pgp, for example.