I was also under the impression that Proton was a non-profit, but learned from the Reject Convenience video linked that they are, in fact, a for-profit company. Not trying to advocate for using or not using it, just sharing my learnings.
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Proton AG is owned by the Proton Foundation which is a non-profit.
Exactly, Proton AG is a for‑profit company that earns revenue through subscriptions.
Proton Foundation is a nonprofit entity that owns a controlling stake in Proton AG. The nonprofit structure is designed to protect the company from being fully acquired by outside investors who might compromise its principles.
So essentially, Proton operates as a for-profit business, but its mission is safeguarded by the nonprofit foundation.
As mentioned in the video, this isn’t the same since it doesn’t require Proton AG to have the same level of transparency.
Again, not saying this is a bad thing, just that it seems to be a common misconception.
There’s nothing wrong with making a profit off software.
To be clear, there’s a difference in terminology of profit in economic context vs colloquial. When they say profit / non-profit, non-profit doesn’t mean that people don’t make money for their work. Rather it refers to what’s done with the extra money made above the costs of the firm, after it’s paid its employees and officers. Is it given to the firm’s shareholders, is it reinvested into the firm, are prices reduced to have less excess the next quarter, etc.
