Proton has introduced Meeta new video conferencing service designed around end-to-end encryption. It aims to serve as a privacy-focused alternative to services like Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Users do not need a Proton account to use Meet and is free for meetings with up to 50 participants that last less than an hour. For longer calls, a paid plan from $7.99 Required per month.
Proton explains that Meet was developed in response to demand for EU-based conferencing options that make it easier to comply with GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act. The service also addresses concerns related to complications introduced by the US Cloud Act.
Encryption architecture in Proton Meet
Proton Meet uses messaging Layer Security (MLS)an open source end-to-end encryption protocol designed for real-time group communication that has been independently reviewed. All media and chat is encrypted on the client side, which means Proton says so cannot access or process unencrypted data of calls.
The service is based on WebRTC with selective forwarding units that manage the retransmission of media to participants. Each meeting link includes an ID and password stored locally on the client, and participant authentication is handled via the Secure Remote Password protocol, which Proton has used in its other services for the past ten years.
MLS creates a crypto pool with a shared epoch key that changes every time a participant joins or leaves. New members cannot read previous messages and those who have left cannot access future messages. Participant names are end-to-end encrypted and email addresses and IP addresses are not shared between participants. Proton claims it does not keep records of who attended a meeting.
In the event that the server is compromised, Proton claims that the stored databases only contain meeting IDs and call traffic cannot be read or altered.
Practical Security Considerations, Features, and Integrations
The main point of vulnerability is the meeting link itself. If the link is shared with someone who shouldn’t have it, that person could join the call. Proton suggests solving this problem by locking the meeting once all expected participants are present, removing unrecognized attendees, or rotating the link.
Meet works by generating a shareable conference link that requires no installation for participants. The service integrates with Proton Calendar and allows you to add scheduled meetings to Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook. Proton has not announced a timeline for additional features or capability levels beyond the current free and pro plans.
