![\"You](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/43/sharing-with-vivaldi-1728w-1.jpg\")
Greetings from sunny Tallinn, Estonia!
A small update with one feature we're genuinely excited about. Let's dive right in!
OPENDOCUMENT (ODT) IMPORT & EXPORT
You can now import and export OpenDocument (.odt) files in Cryptee Docs. It's in beta, and you'll find it in the usual import and export menus.
ODT is an open, vendor-neutral format. No single company controls it, unlike .docx and Microsoft.
Germany now requires ODF across its public administration. As a privacy-first European company, built and headquartered in Estonia, Europe, we take open standards and digital sovereignty very seriously, so we thought it was long overdue we've added support for it.
If you use LibreOffice or work with European public administrations, your documents now move in and out of Cryptee with no conversion detours.
The import/export features are in beta, and we hope to improve these over the course of the next few months. So please reach out and let us know if/when you run into issues and we'll make sure these are fixed.
AND OF COURSE, TONS OF BUG FIXES AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS
If you're enjoying Cryptee, please consider subscribing to one of our paid plans to support us. Help us defend your rights, privacy, security and data sovereignty in Europe as much as possible.
All the very best from Tallinn,
John Ozbay
Greetings from Estonia, Europe!
We have some big news.
After years of careful work, we're ready to share our most anticipated feature to date.
You can now share your encrypted photos and videos with others using a link.
All end-to-end encrypted, no AI scanning your photos, no compromises.
So why did this take so long? We had the code ready for years. But shipping it responsibly required a lot more than just writing code.
Early on, our legal team flagged that encrypted photo & video sharing could come with difficult, costly legal complications and scenarios. Those conversations led us down a path of asking some hard questions about what it means to build sharing tools responsibly.
We could have done what's fashionable in Silicon Valley, moved fast and broken things, and broken society slowly, all without thinking twice. You know, the way some companies release AI models that can generate virtually anything with zero safeguards, and then maybe bother with the consequences later. That's not how we do things.
Instead, we spent the last few years talking to advocacy groups, researchers, sociologists, and other experts across Europe, trying to understand their specific concerns around the spread of illegal visual materials, and what we could do to address them.
Not because anyone forced us to do any of these things, but because we think it matters.
This was especially important to us given the current political climate, where encryption itself is under attack by lobbyists and lawmakers around the world, often using the very same concerns as justification to strip everyone's privacy. We decided to prove that it's possible to build encrypted sharing tools thoughtfully, without backdoors, without scanning, and crucially without pretending the concerns don't exist.
Here's what we learned. The core concern among experts isn't about one person sending one file to one other person.
It's about mass spread. The keyword is \"scale\".
Think of it as a spectrum.
On one end, someone could physically mail a USB stick. Nearly impossible to detect, but wildly impractical at scale. On the other end, someone can upload content to a social platform and share it with millions in a single click. Maximum reach, with zero effort, and this is sadly the most common way people spread illegal content on the internet.
We wanted to build sharing that lives firmly on the impractical-for-abuse side of this spectrum, while still being sufficiently usable for real people with real needs. A family sharing vacation photos and videos. A war photographer getting sensitive footage to a journalist. A client reviewing a wedding album.
After long discussions with experts, here's what we came up with to keep things safe, free of spam and sane :
All your photos, videos and albums remain end-to-end encrypted.
We cannot see their contents, and no one else can either.
There is no scanning.
There is no way for us or anyone to see what's inside unless you give them access.
We believe these limits still cover everything you'd actually want to do. Share with your family, your friends, your colleagues, your clients. One click, and it just works.
At the same time, these limits make it impractical for bad actors to spread illegal content or spam people at scale.
But if you run into a scenario we haven't thought of, we're all ears, shoot us a message.
All you have to do is tap the \"share\" button, and Cryptee will generate a sharing link for you.
Want more control? You can dial in the settings further. Share only your favorite photos from an album.
Or share only the preview-sized versions with your clients until they pay you for the originals.
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/43/sharing-menu-1728w.jpg\")
When recipients open the link, they'll see a clean welcome screen where they enter their email and confirm with a one-time password. That's it.
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/43/recipient-email-1728w.jpg\")
Once they have access, they can browse the album in our gallery, download photos individually, select a few, or download everything at once. They can even choose which size to download. So if you're a photographer and your clients only want the smaller JPG previews instead of your original RAW files, they can pick exactly what they need.
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/43/receiving-vivaldi-1728w.jpg\")
This update also comes with hundreds of tiny improvements across the board, including better compatibility with Apple's new controversial Liquid Glass design. But here are a couple of highlights :
MARKDOWN PASTE
We've heard from many of our users that they quite often paste text from large language models and AI chat tools into Cryptee, which sadly comes with potential security risks, like pasting untrusted markdown or text into the editor.
Until now Cryptee didn't support pasting markdown, but with this update, we've introduced the ability to paste markdown into our editor. Cryptee can now automatically convert your markdown formatted text into rich-styled text, while still making sure and sanitizing the contents of the text to ensure you can't accidentally paste insecure markdown or text into Cryptee Docs that could potentially compromise your data's integrity.
SMARTER CODE BLOCKS
With the introduction of markdown paste, we anticipate many of our software developer users and students to also paste large code blocks. And some of you have already been asking for ways to better manage large code blocks in Cryptee Docs. You can now :
This update also comes with hundreds of bug fixes, of which there are too many to list. If something felt like it was broken, we probably fixed it. For example, for years, pasting text out of Cryptee into a plaintext field like a Signal message input sometimes created extra new lines. This should be fixed now - finally.
If not, please reach out to our customer support or file an issue on our github following the bug report template, and we'll get things sorted out right away.
Oh and in case if you have a username-only account and don't have an email address we can use to reach out to you, we're legally obligated to let you know that we've updated our terms & conditions and privacy policy to cover how photo sharing works like :
• Your responsibilities when sharing content
(like: be cool, don't spam people)
• What kinds of data we process
(like: sending album invitations/access emails)
• A few other clarifications
(like: you own your content and we can't see it)
We're really proud of how this turned out, and we can't wait to hear what you think.
If you're enjoying Cryptee, please consider subscribing to one of our paid plans to support us. Help us defend your rights, privacy and security.
All the very best from Estonia, Europe,
— John Ozbay
","image":"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/43/sharing-with-vivaldi-1728w.jpg","author":{"name":"John Ozbay"},"tags":[],"date_published":"2026-03-26T15:00:00+01:00","date_modified":"2026-03-26T22:07:43+01:00"},{"id":"6942b79c6a8b01ec67168bf1","url":"https://blog.crypt.ee/apple-is-still-breaking-eu-law-together-with-proton-threema-20-organizations-we-signed-an-open-letter-calling-it-out/","title":"Apple is still breaking EU law. Together with Proton, Threema & 20+ Organizations, we signed an open letter calling it out.","summary":"Months after the EU ruled Apple's App Store fees illegal under the Digital Markets Act, nothing has changed. We signed an open letter to the European Commission alongside Proton, Threema and 20+ organizations calling it out.","content_html":"This week, we signed and sent an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen alongside 20+ incredible app developers, associations and consumer organizations, including Proton, Threema, Deezer, and the Coalition for App Fairness.
The message is simple: Apple is still breaking the law, and the EU needs to act.
Back in April 2025, the European Commission ruled that Apple's App Store policies are illegal under the Digital Markets Act. The DMA is clear: gatekeepers like Apple must allow developers to offer transactions outside the App Store free of charge.
Six months later, Apple is still charging developers up to 20% commission on those very transactions. That's not compliance. That's defiance.
Here's the frustrating part: US developers now have a better deal than European ones. After Epic Games' court victory, American developers can freely tell customers about alternative payment options, without paying Apple a cut. Meanwhile in Europe, where we actually passed a landmark law to fix this, we're stuck with worse terms.
As the letter puts it: \"Why should developers and consumers get a worse deal in Europe than in the US?\"
When Apple taxes app developers, those costs get passed down to you. Higher subscription prices. Fewer features. Less innovation. Less competition. This affects every app you use on your iPhone.
Apple has announced new App Store terms coming in January 2026, but nobody knows what they'll actually contain. Developers are operating in the dark, unable to plan, unable to invest, unable to compete. As the letter states, Apple's \"lack of transparency in tandem with its rushed timelines paralyzes innovation and investment.\"
We're asking the Commission to enforce the law as written. Free of charge means free of charge.
We're proud to stand with Proton, Threema, Deezer, the Coalition for App Fairness, European Games Developer Federation, European Publishers Council, App Fair Project and many incredible other organizations in this initiative.
You can read the full letter on Coalition for App Fairness' website, and check out the media coverage on The Register and Reuters.
","author":{"name":"John Ozbay"},"tags":[],"date_published":"2025-12-17T15:00:00+01:00","date_modified":"2025-12-17T15:37:31+01:00"},{"id":"6874bd706a8b01ec67168987","url":"https://blog.crypt.ee/apples-billion-dollar-stonewall-our-view-from-the-eu-dma-workshop-hearing/","title":"Apple's Billion-Dollar Stonewall: Our View from the EU DMA Workshop Hearing","summary":"Cryptee & OWA confront Apple at EU DMA workshop over iOS browser restrictions, web app barriers, and anti-competitive practices.","content_html":"![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/41/hero-img-blog-1.jpg\")
Hello everyone,
John here, after a busy month in Brussels, where I once again had the opportunity to represent Open Web Advocacy and Cryptee at the European Commission's DMA Compliance Workshop along with two of the best side-kicks I could imagine to have, Roderick Gadellaa and James Heppell standing in for Open Web Advocacy. Our goal was simple: to hold Apple accountable and question them directly about their so-called \"compliance\" with the Digital Markets Act.
After 15 months of the DMA being in force, it’s clearer than ever that Apple’s strategy is to comply only on paper. They've erected byzantine contractual and technical barriers that make it nearly impossible for true browser competition to flourish on iOS.
Our good friend, Vivaldi's Technical Communications Officer Bruce Lawson wrote an excellent blog post covering this DMA workshop, with tons of great quotes. There really isn't much we can add to Bruce's incredible blog post, but we thought we'd publish our version featuring a few video snippets relevant to Cryptee, and our answers to Apple, for you, the reader to enjoy.
For Cryptee, and for the future of the open web, this isn't just a legal debate—it has become an existential fight for the web itself. Furthermore, as we saw in Brussels, during the 7,5 stressful hours, when you ask Apple direct questions, you get anything but direct answers, and this pattern of evasion continued throughout the day.
So grab yourself a cup of tea or wine dear reader, and let's begin.
One of the most cynical tactics we've uncovered is how Apple uses parental controls to stifle browser competition. On iOS, all major web browsers, including Apple's own Safari, are rated 17+. However, if a parent enables age restrictions on a child's device to block 17+ apps, something strange happens: all third-party browsers become un-installable and unusable, but Safari —which has the exact same 17+ rating— remains perfectly functional.
This isn't about protecting children; it's about locking them into Safari. An estimated 15% of all European users are under 18. Thanks to this dark pattern, they are denied genuine browser choice and grow up knowing only Safari. I challenged Apple on this directly.
Given that all browsers on iOS, including Safari, use the exact same web content restriction setting, what is it about other browsers that means that they’re not allowed to be installed or used when Safari is? [...] What specific steps will Apple take to ensure that third-party browsers [...] are treated equally in age-restricted environments?
— John
Apple's response was a masterclass in deflection, vaguely acknowledging it's an area they are \"looking at\" without committing to any specific action or timeline.
This issue is a major focus for Apple currently. [...] We're doing a lot of focused work there. And that is an area that we will be looking at and are looking at.
— Apple
This isn't a complex technical problem; it's a deliberate design choice to hobble competitors and undermine the DMA.
As you know, Cryptee is a Progressive Web App (PWA), which is a type of web app that can be installed on a device as a standalone application and can even be used while offline. We chose the web because it’s an open, private, and secure platform that respects user freedom. Apple, however, sees the web as a threat to its App Store monopoly, which generates trillions in sales, and makes Apple billions in revenue every year. At the workshop, I asked Apple why they make it so difficult for users to install Progressive Web Appss like Cryptee.
To install a web app on iOS, a user must go through a four-step process navigating the Safari menu, finding the Share icon, scrolling down and clicking the confusingly named \"Add to Home Screen\" button instead of 'Install'. [...] With the iOS 26 beta, Apple has made it even more difficult [...] So why is Apple trying to make it even harder than it already is to install web apps?
— John
Apple’s response was predictable. They claimed the App Store's \"thorough app review process\" justifies the difference. A particularly disingenuous take, given the daily reality of the App Store, so I had to bring up some stats.
Kyle, you spoke at length about the App Store as if every app is carefully reviewed, safe, and secure, but that doesn't simply match the reality. [...] Apple's own internal communications acknowledge that human app review is ineffective... one of my favorite quotes is: \"App review is bringing a plastic butter knife to a gun fight.\"
— John
Even more critical is the engine that powers web apps. True competition requires browsers to use their own engines, but Apple is blocking this. I asked when we could expect PWAs to run on third-party engines. Their answer?
We have nothing to announce in terms of what we will do if and when a third-party browser engine comes to iOS.
— Kyle Andeer, Apple
\"Nothing to announce.\" This means Apple intends to keep web apps shackled to their own engine WebKit, unilaterally capping their performance and features to ensure they never pose a real threat to native apps.
The foundation of a healthy web ecosystem is browser competition. The DMA explicitly bans Apple from forcing its WebKit engine on other browsers. Yet, Apple’s \"solution\" is a masterclass in malicious compliance. As my OWA colleague Roderick Gadellaa —who by the way has an amazing blog listing out Safari's show-stoppers— pointed out, Apple has created a trap.
One of the key issues slowing progress is that Apple is not allowing browser vendors to update their existing browser app to use their own engine in the EU [...] This means that browser vendors have to ship a whole new app just for the EU and tell their existing EU customers to download their new app and start building their user base from scratch. [...] Why is Apple still insisting that browser vendors lose all their existing EU customers?
— Roderick Gadellaa, OWA
Apple's Kyle Andeer dodged the question, claiming browser vendors like Google and Mozilla have simply \"chosen not to\" bring their engines to iOS \"for whatever reason\". The reason is obvious: Apple has designed a system which allows them to pretend to comply while offering a commercially unrealistic and non-viable solution. No company would willingly abandon its entire user base of millions.
Even if a competing browser vendor overcame Apple's contractual hurdles, they would face another impossible barrier: testing. The web is global. Developers in the US, Asia, Africa and elsewhere build websites and web apps for customers in the EU. For the web to work, these developers must be able to test their products on the browsers their customers use.
My colleague from OWA, James Heppell —who recently published his fantastic summary of our experiences in Brussels—, pointed out that Apple's EU-only restrictions would make it impossible for the vast majority of web developers to test their sites on new browser engines like Firefox's Gecko or Google's Chromium on iOS.
Most web developers [...] are all around the world. [...] and they still serve EU users, but they're going to be unable to install or test these new browsers with their third-party engines on their devices. This means that these developers will be able to test Safari, but not Firefox's Gecko or Chromium, putting these competing browsers, web developers, businesses, and users at a significant disadvantage. [...] What solution does Apple propose?
— James Heppell, OWA
Apple has already solved this for native apps, allowing developers outside the EU to test EU-only features. Yet, for the web, they offered another vague promise with no details.
I think that's a subject of active discussion. I think we've been discussing it with Mozilla and Google also and the Commission. I would expect to see some updates there.
— Apple
Without a concrete solution, Apple is ensuring that any competing browser engine would launch into a hostile environment where websites are broken by default, dooming it to fail.
To ensure transparency, the European Commission required Apple to implement a public, searchable tracker for interoperability requests. This would allow developers like us to see the status of requests for new features and APIs. Apple’s solution? A static PDF, updated once a week, hidden behind a developer login. It is the technological equivalent of a \"Beware of the Leopard\" sign.
I questioned how this could possibly meet the Commission's clear requirements.
Does Apple believe that a static PDF meets the very clear requirements laid out by the commission?
— John
In a truly bizarre moment, Apple, a three-trillion-dollar technology giant, claimed they simply didn't have time to build anything better in months.
We are amazing at what we do. We can do amazing things. But achieving a fantastic solution against those deadlines [...] causes some practical realities. We did something that was the absolute best we could achieve in that short timeline.
— Apple
This is, of course, absurd. Apple runs complex bug and feature trackers for its other projects and uses platforms like GitHub. The PDF is a deliberate choice to create a bureaucratic black hole, discouraging requests and slowing progress to a crawl. It’s malicious compliance in its purest form.
It’s clear Apple is playing for time, using its vast resources to delay, obfuscate, and litigate, all while protecting its most profitable revenue streams. If you'd like to read an even more comprehensive summary: Open Web Advocacy has published its review here, and it's well worth a read.
This year, we as OWA showed up to the DMA workshop hearing so much more prepared. We had tons of questions —more than we could fit into the short 7,5 hours—, and took the mic many times to ask copious amounts of hard questions. Consequently, we've become the subject of many quirky conversations and jokes at the event. Here's a fun B-Roll video from the hearing in no particular order to highlight those special \"Not you, not again John\" and \"Oh ... it's OWA again\" moments:
We are a small, bootstrapped company from Estonia. We don't have venture capital or corporate investors. Our only source of income is your subscriptions. Everything we do —from developing new features to traveling to Brussels to defend your right to an open web— is funded by you.
Standing against a multi-trillion-dollar company with a $1B+ annual legal budget is a monumental task. But we believe it's a fight worth fighting. The web is the world's only truly open and interoperable platform, and it is the greatest check against the power of gatekeepers like Apple.
If you believe in our mission and want to help us continue this work, please consider subscribing to a paid plan. Your support helps us keep the lights on and allows us to keep fighting for a web that is private, secure, and free for everyone.
For our new customers, here is a special lifetime discount code for 10% off all our paid plans:
WALLEDGARDEN
Thank you for reading and for your continued support. We have a long road ahead, but together, we can keep the web open and free.
Before closing this long blog post, I want to offer Roderick Gadellaa and James Heppell a heartfelt thank you. You guys are absolutely the best for making it to Brussels despite this summer's heatwave. Here's a photo of us after the DMA hearing in Brussels, about to grab drinks to cool down. Photo taken by our good friend, —and Cryptee's very first user— Char Stiles of the MIT Media Lab, who came to Brussels all the way from the US to support us.
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/41/roderick-james-john-owa-brussels.jpg\")
In addition, I'd like to thank Alex & James Moore of the Open Web Advocacy for making this happen in the first place, for their perseverance and putting together this band of rebels. And finally I'd like to thank Bruce Lawson of Vivaldi. Thanks for being the most amazing human, helping out in any way you can, your incredible coverage of the DMA event, and your delightful humor.
All the very best from Tallinn, Estonia.
— John Ozbay
","image":"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/41/hero-img-blog.jpg","author":{"name":"John Ozbay"},"tags":[],"date_published":"2025-07-14T18:51:01+02:00","date_modified":"2025-07-14T18:51:01+02:00"},{"id":"6808c5aa6a8b01ec67168780","url":"https://blog.crypt.ee/cryptee-photos-new-design-and-heic-support/","title":"New Cryptee Photos Design, HEIC Support and bug fixes","summary":"Introducing a major design update for Cryptee Photos, enhanced performance, HEIC/HEIF support, and various improvements.","content_html":"Greetings from Europe's coziest winter capital Tallinn, Estonia!
We are very excited to share with you today a major design update for Cryptee Photos, and tons of small improvements to our platform across the board. But first, some big news.
Apple has been hit with a €500mil fine by the EU for their violations under the Digital Market's Act (DMA). As you may know we are massive fans of the DMA, and we've been making plenty of trips to Brussels this year to advocate for a better web as much as we can. So as you can imagine, today was a big festive day for us!
Now that this is out of the way, without further ado, let's talk about our big design update!
We have redesigned Cryptee Photos and added some amazing new features. We think the new design is even more minimalistic and clearer — yet packed with even more features. We think we've made things simple enough that you will easily be able to navigate around, but let's take a look at what has changed!
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/40/gallery-cropped.jpg\")
We have redesigned the way your albums look and removed bezels to let your cover photos do the talking.
The top navigation bar now takes up half the space, yet still maintaining all the functionality. To achieve this we've moved a few things around.
To begin with, we now have a large \"+\" button on the top right corner, which you can use to upload photos, create new albums, and summon hidden albums. It looks like this :
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/40/new-album-cropped.jpg\")
We also had to move the favorites button. We thought that our favorite moments and memories deserve more, they deserve to take the spotlight, and not just be hidden away behind a boring button.
We realized we could perhaps use this opportunity to showcase different favorite photos each time you open the app to remind you of your favorite moments.
So starting today, on the very top of your gallery view, you'll find a \"favorites\" section, which will feature a few of your favorite memories each time you open the app.
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/40/favorites-cropped.jpg\")
To make room for a few big new features coming up soon, we decided to redesign how your photos and album details appear as well.
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/40/album-cropped.jpg\")
You'll notice that when swiping through photos they will load faster, and when scrolling down in your gallery you'll notice the thumbnails will appear faster and smoother. We've improved the performance and animations to make this experience as smooth as possible.
We also wanted to make the navigation bar take up less space, so we decided to hide away all the actions you can take until after you select photos. In the past these actions were sitting up there taking tons of space. So starting from today, when you select photos, you'll be presented with our new selection popup that sits at the bottom, closer to your thumb to make selections even easier.
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/40/selections-cropped.jpg\")
But that's not all, we've added one more feature to Cryptee Photos.
You can now upload HEIC/HEIF photos taken on your favorite fruit-branded phones and tablets to Cryptee Photos. Cryptee will store the original HEIC/HEIF file for you, and even generate an easy to share jpeg version you can easily download and share with your friends.
What took us so long?
HEIC/HEIF is a surprisingly complex format that can only be opened by Apple's Safari browsers on desktop and mobile.
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/40/image.png\")
All other browsers, neither Firefox nor Chromium-based browsers like Vivaldi or Chrome can open HEIC/HEIF files natively. This meant that we had to ship a compatibility layer that works on these red browsers that don't support HEIC.
What does this mean?
It means that if you're uploading HEIC files on your Mac using Chrome or Firefox, your uploads will be slower, and they will use more memory + processing power, since these browsers will be using our home-made compatibility layer.
So if you're planning on uploading hundreds and thousands of HEIC photos from your Mac to Cryptee, we recommend doing so using Cryptee in Safari. < a painful sentence to write, given our complex past with Apple ... we know... >
Cryptee Docs has a new monospaced font, Inconsolata. We realized it was long overdue since it was requested by many of you savvy users of Cryptee this year.
We've also added a new font size : 22px, which comfortably sits between 20px and 24px, making text more comfortable to read.
Special thanks to our user Tony for requesting this particular combination. \"Inconsolata 22\" is our team's new favorite font combination now.
Cryptee Docs search should feel a bit faster now! We've also made it possible to paste stuff into the search box and start searching without any additional keystrokes. — again, thanks for catching this one Tony!
Some of our users reported that their browsers' autocomplete / autofill gets really really excited when they open Cryptee Docs, and try to fill the search box with their email address for Cryptee or other random things, even though our search box is very clearly labeled as a search box in the code. Which then would trigger the search, and result in our users getting confused about why the hell the left sidebar kept sliding off.
To address these types of strange autofill issues, we've added hidden autocomplete/autofill traps throughout Cryptee Docs. It seems to do the trick on our test devices. So please let us know if you experience any strange behavior after this update that may or may not be related.
This update includes numerous small and large bug fixes and massive speed improvements across the board and we think you'll definitely notice the smoother performance. ESPECIALLY when uploading photos.
We've managed to make uploading photos take up 2-3x less memory, making large uploads a breeze even on slower tablets. Go ahead and give it a try. Use your $50,000 Hasselblad medium format camera to upload a 400megapixel photo on your kid's $50 Android tablet. It should still work. It's a promise.
I would like to personally thank Jesper, who reported and helped fix at least 50 bugs since the beginning of this year, and officially earned multiple honorable titles such as \"The Pest Controller\", \"Exterminator\" and \"Error Archeologist\". Thank you Jesper for helping us keep Cryptee pest free. So this update features tons of bug fixes and performance improvements courtesy of Jesper.
If you're enjoying Cryptee, please consider subscribing to one of our paid plans to support us. Help us defend your rights, privacy and security.
All the very best from Estonia, Europe,
John Ozbay
","image":"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/40/gallery-cropped-3.jpg","author":{"name":"John Ozbay"},"tags":[],"date_published":"2025-04-24T10:21:43+02:00","date_modified":"2025-06-04T11:28:37+02:00"},{"id":"67eb857f6a448a4b2a1317e1","url":"https://blog.crypt.ee/cryptees-new-e2ee/","title":"E2EE : Finally a way to share top secrets","summary":"Cryptee's new E2EE, allowing you to share your top secret documents.","content_html":"Today we're excited to announce a new kind of E2EE, allowing you to share your top secret documents. Here's our launch video.
Today, Apple announced the discontinuation of their Advanced Data Protection (ADP) program in the UK, following pressure from the UK government to implement encryption backdoors. This concerning development highlights the ongoing tension between user privacy and government surveillance.
While we respect Apple's firm stance against implementing backdoors, they've effectively chosen to remove the front door entirely rather than build a back door.
For a multi-trillion dollar company that champions privacy at every given PR opportunity, their swift acceptance and lack of resistance (in stark contrast to their fierce battles against anti-competitive regulations around the world) raises questions about the reliability of their privacy promises, and highlights that for them their profits are far more important than your privacy.
This situation serves as a stark reminder of why truly independent, privacy-focused iCloud alternatives like Cryptee are crucial.
For UK users seeking continued encrypted storage solutions, we are offering a 10% lifetime discount with code \"BRE2EEXIT\".
Privacy is a fundamental human right. We stand firm in our commitment to providing secure, encrypted storage for all users, without exceptions or backdoors.
— John Ozbay
","author":{"name":"John Ozbay"},"tags":[],"date_published":"2025-02-21T21:00:00+01:00","date_modified":"2025-02-21T22:37:29+01:00"},{"id":"679b5be36a448a4b2a13173d","url":"https://blog.crypt.ee/cryptee-joins-edri-access-now-matrix-org-30-organizations-in-standing-up-against-big-techs-attack-on-eu-digital-rights/","title":"Cryptee Joins EDRi, Nextcloud, Matrix.org & 40+ Organizations in Standing Up to Bullying by Big Tech","summary":"Cryptee Joins EDRi, Nextcloud, Matrix.org & 40+ Organizations in Standing Up to Bullying by Big Tech","content_html":"![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/37/EDRI-Joint-Letters-1.jpg\")
Today, alongside EDRi, Nextcloud, Matrix.org and 40+ civil society organizations, Cryptee signed an open letter to the EU leadership, urging them to stand firm against Big Tech's attempts to weaken digital regulations like the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This is a summary blog post, and you can read the full letter below.
The timing couldn't be more critical. We're witnessing an unprecedented push by Big Tech to undermine EU regulations:
This isn't just about business – it's about protecting our digital sovereignty and democracy.
If you're reading this, you're directly affected by these regulations, whether you realize it or not. Here's why:
It's crucial to understand this isn't a clash between the EU and US. This is about Big Tech companies attempting to maintain their monopolistic control over our digital lives, regardless of geography. Their actions affect everyone, from small businesses to individual users, on both sides of the Atlantic.
As a privacy-first European company, we firmly believe the EU must:
If we pause or weaken enforcement now, we risk:
Together with EDRi, Nextcloud, Matrix.org and our 40+ co-signers, we're calling for EU leadership to stand their ground and not back down from enforcing these crucial regulations. This is a crucial moment for digital rights and democracy in Europe. We need to invest in technology that enables a more diverse and democratic digital public sphere – one that serves people, not corporate interests.
You can find the full letter on EDRi's website here, or read it below if your browser supports displaying PDFs :
\n\n\n\n\nCryptee is incredibly proud to stand alongside organizations like EDRi, Nextcloud, Matrix.org, Access Now, AlgorithmWatch, and countless others in this important initiative, and we would like to thank all these organizations for their signatures.
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Today, Cryptee joined forces with EFF, Vivaldi, Threema, ARTICLE 19, Coalition for App Fairness and 30+ other European technology companies, civil organizations, and industry leaders in submitting an open letter to the European Commission. Our collective message is clear: we need immediate and decisive action to enforce the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
When tech giants ignore laws like the DMA, they maintain their power to control your data, limit your privacy options, and decide which apps and services you can use on your devices.
The DMA was designed to be a landmark achievement for the EU's digital future – promising to break the monopolistic control of a few powerful companies and foster fair competition in the digital marketplace. However, nine months after its implementation, we're seeing concerning patterns of non-compliance from major tech gatekeepers.
Some of these companies are actively circumventing the law through:
As a privacy-first company built in the EU, Cryptee stands firmly behind the principles of fair competition and digital rights. We believe that:
Together with our co-signatories, we're urging the European Commission to:
We're incredibly proud to stand alongside other European technology companies and organizations in this initiative, and we remain committed to building a more secure, private, and fair digital future for everyone.
You can read the full letter and more on Coalition for App Fairness' website, or you can read the PDF below.
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Greetings from snowy Estonia!
We have two fantastic features to tell you about in this update. Let's dive right in!
DSLR/Pro photographers, this one's for you! After months and months of hard work and engineering, Cryptee Photos now supports hundreds of RAW formats from all major camera manufacturers including Nikon, Sony, Canon, Fujifilm, and many more.
Whether you're shooting with a Canon R5, Nikon Z9, Sony A7 or Leica M11 your RAW files are now fully supported in Cryptee Photos. Upload, preview, and manage your RAW files just like any other image format in Cryptee!
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/35/raw-photos-blog-post-cropped.jpg\")
Here's a list of some of the most popular RAW photo formats you can now upload to Cryptee:
— Canon (CR2, CR3, CRW)
— Nikon (NEF, NRW)
— Sony (ARW, SRF, SR2)
— Fujifilm (RAF)
— Olympus (ORF)
— Pentax (PEF)
— Panasonic (RAW, RW2, RWL)
— Sigma (X3F)
— Leica/Adobe/Universal (DNG)
— Hasselblad (3FR, FFF)
— Phase One (IIQ)
— Mamiya/Leaf (MEF, MOS)
— Kodak (DCR, K25, KDC)
— Samsung (SRW)
— Epson (ERF)
— Minolta (MDC)
— and many more!
Shooting with multiple cameras? We feel you! Whether you're a wedding photographer mixing shots from different cameras in one album, or like us, carrying multiple cameras on your travels, we've made your life easier! Cryptee now shows you which camera took each photo right in your gallery view, with clean brand indicators next to your photos.
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/35/raw-photos-blog-post2.jpg\")
For legal reasons we can't use the actual brand logos or colors, but we made sure the icons are close enough that you'll understand which camera is which.
Plus, we've made it super easy to peek at your technical settings – ISO, f-stops, shutter speeds, and all that good stuff – without ever having to leave Cryptee!
While working on adding support for RAW photos, we've supercharged our photo uploader! It now uses up to 10x less memory and handles even the largest RAW files smoothly – whether you're on your phone, tablet, or computer. Perfect for backing up photos while traveling, no matter which device you're using.
Love using those on-camera filters? Cryptee shows you exactly how your filtered shots look in the gallery, but don't worry – your pristine RAW files are still there, untouched! So you can see your final results without ever leaving Cryptee. Pretty sweet, right?
And if you're still shooting RAW+JPG, you can now save some card space! Cryptee creates JPG previews automatically from your RAW files. Just drag and drop straight from your camera, and browse your photos easily – even on phones and tablets that usually struggle with RAW files.
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/35/cryptee-photos-jpgandraw.jpg\")
We're really excited and proud of how these features turned out, and we hope they'll put a smile on your face too!
Now let's continue to Cryptee Docs!
We're thrilled to introduce comments in Cryptee Docs! You asked, we listened – now you can leave notes, comments, and thoughts right inside your documents. We've heard from many of you that this was a must-have feature, so we had to make it possible.
![\"\"](\"https://blog.crypt.ee/media/posts/35/cryptee-docs-comments.jpg\")
Comments work everywhere in your documents, from tables to checklists. You can find them quickly in the new sidebar panel, or hide them entirely for distraction-free writing using the little toggle switch we've added.
Comments are here and ready to use on all your devices, starting today. Happy commenting!
This update includes numerous small bug fixes and speed improvements across the board and we think you'll definitely notice the smoother performance.
If you're enjoying Cryptee, please consider subscribing to one of our paid plans to support us. Help us defend your rights, privacy and security.
All the very best from Estonia, Europe,
— John Ozbay
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