Reviews for Proton VPN: Fast & Secure
Proton VPN: Fast & Secure by Proton, Proton Team
Review by webistrator
Rated 2 out of 5
by webistrator, a month agoThe "take what you get" free server idea would be OK if it didn't corrupt one's browser language settings so that, for example, if one draws a Japanese server then one's browser language becomes Japanese and can't be reset--and yes, Firefox has default language control, but it doesn't work to reset the langauge. If one could at least choose preferred nations rather than having to accept the default picked by the Proton extension, life would be easier. Otherwise, one must disconnect totally from Proton VPN and reconnect later -- or do a quick study in Japanese, Chinese (apologies, Aifun Ltd), etc.!
(Re: ProtonVPN's response) -- I've used NordVPN and Surfshark in the past and I lever lost my language choice. Neither one changed nor corrupted my browser language as ProtonVPN does. Both are linguistically "transparent to the user". If ProtonVPN thinks loss of legibility is "proof" it is working and that illegible browser output that cannot be restored--even when their VPN service is turned off-- is a good trade-off, they're naively mistaken. Proton VPN's algorithm of an arbitrary node selection with hopes that one gets the right language "brass ring" on Proton's node merry-go-round leaves no choice but to give up their VPN protection. Proton could offer users a language preference option, but that seems outside their wherewithal, unlike other VPN providers.
Of course, Proton offers the choice of a paid "upgrade" to solve the loss of language problem. My "test drive" of free Proton VPN shows that it cannot ensure language autonymy; why would I pay to risk more poor performance?
(Re: ProtonVPN's response) -- I've used NordVPN and Surfshark in the past and I lever lost my language choice. Neither one changed nor corrupted my browser language as ProtonVPN does. Both are linguistically "transparent to the user". If ProtonVPN thinks loss of legibility is "proof" it is working and that illegible browser output that cannot be restored--even when their VPN service is turned off-- is a good trade-off, they're naively mistaken. Proton VPN's algorithm of an arbitrary node selection with hopes that one gets the right language "brass ring" on Proton's node merry-go-round leaves no choice but to give up their VPN protection. Proton could offer users a language preference option, but that seems outside their wherewithal, unlike other VPN providers.
Of course, Proton offers the choice of a paid "upgrade" to solve the loss of language problem. My "test drive" of free Proton VPN shows that it cannot ensure language autonymy; why would I pay to risk more poor performance?
Developer response
posted a month agoThis is expected since your IP address and geolocation are changed to appear as if you're in the country that our server is located in. It means that Proton VPN is working as intended. Whatever server you connect to, you're likely to be served content in the language of that server's country.
That said, the default Connect option will connect you to the fastest available server for you. This leads to better load balancing and higher speed, which is a priority for free users. You still have the option to switch to another randomly allocated server, or you can upgrade to connect to a specific server in a country of your choice.
That said, the default Connect option will connect you to the fastest available server for you. This leads to better load balancing and higher speed, which is a priority for free users. You still have the option to switch to another randomly allocated server, or you can upgrade to connect to a specific server in a country of your choice.