DeCloudUs

In this release, DeCloudUs greatly expanded filtering capabilities for malicious sites and added more choices and block options for Premium Plus:

• Expanded the "Security By Default" filters to block over 600,000 additional sites that are known to be malicious (spreading malware and/or used for phishing). The expanded filters were applied to all Premium and Premium Plus servers and will be continuously kept up-to-date moving forward.
• Extended Custom DNS ability to block more site categories. Now, with a click of a button, users can easily block these new site categories: piracy and illegal content sites, online gambling sites, and crypto sites (cryptojacking, crypto-mining, etc). DeCloudUs is committed to giving users the ability to fully and easily control what to block or allow.
• Applied many site content and navigation enhancements.

In this release, DeCloudUs added the ability to accept crypto payments for subscription along with many other site enhancements that improve usability and user experience:

• Added the ability to subscribe via cryptocurrency (BTC and LTC) in the utmost privacy-friendly and user-friendly way. A user only needs to provide an email address to receive server details and manage subscription. Through our carefully designed subscription management flow, the user is able to generate an invoice and submit crypto payment to extend the subscription expiration date at anytime. The user is able to easily manage the subscription profile (change email address, extend subscription, cancel subscription) directly from the DeCloudUs portal with minimal effort.
• Added mobile-friendly and touch-friendly sub-navigation menus on pages with multiple sections for ease of navigation.
• Added more extensive user-friendly error and success messages as feedback for the different actions users perform.

In this release, DeCloudUs Premium and Premium Plus servers implemented major enhancements that significantly reduced DNS resolution time along with many new user features for Premium Plus Custom DNS server:

• Implemented major updates and upgrades to upstream DNS servers load-balancing, reducing DNS resolution time by 30%.
• Extended Custom DNS server ability to block/allow domains/hostnames by IP address they resolve to, with the ability to block/allow individual IPs or entire IP subnets.
• Added troubleshooting DNS querying/dig tool in Custom DNS management page. Since Custom DNS server is fully customizable, DNS queries results are unique to each user based on the DNS settings. Since DeCloudUs only supports secure DNS protocols, standard DNS troubleshooting and dig tools require advanced customization and configuration to work with DeCloudUs. To make it easier to troubleshoot any DNS issue users may have, the dig tool shows direct DNS responses from the user's Custom DNS server.
• Reformatted Zulu whitelist to make it easier to read and understand.

• Released new Custom DNS service under a new Premium Plus service plan. This new service plans gives access to all current Premium servers in addition to a custom DNS server where users get complete and full control over what sites to block or allow.
• Added "Manage Your Subscription" section in the server list details users currently have access to. In this section, there is a button that will allow users to manage their subscription profiles (update email address, update payment method, or cancel subscription) directly through the payment provider (PayPal or Stripe).

• Implemented payment integration with Stripe in addition to PayPal, extending the payment/subscription methods allowed to give users more options.
• Launched Echo Premium DNS server avaiable to all Premium subscribers. Echo servers block ads (including Google Ads), trackers (including all Google trackers), and known malware sites while leaving non-ad and non-tracker Google services and sites running. Echo DNS servers are best suited for devices or an entire home network where Google services are in wide use, but you still wish to enhance your privacy and online safety.

• Launched DeCloudUs Premium DNS service as monthly subscription plan. The plan gives us access to Production, Prime DNS servers with different filtering capabilities. Premium Servers operate on the community-based principle that those who contribute to a service should be the ones who benefit the most from it.
• Launched Alpha Premium DNS server available to all Premium subscribers. Alpha DNS servers are the "original" DeCloudUs DNS Premium servers where Google services and tracking are completely blocked (to fully deGoogle/unGoogle your device or your entire life, if you wish). In addition, the servers will also block ads, online trackers, and known malware sites.
• Launched Zulu Premium DNS server available to all Premium subscribers. Zulu DNS servers were built based on popular demand for "deGoogle/unGoogle light". Unlike Alpha DNS servers (that will completely block Google), Zulu DNS servers blocks most Google domains and tracking, but will allow some popular Google services to work, such as YouTube, Gmail, Google Search, Google CAPTCHAs, and Android App Notification

• Initial launch of DeCloudUs DNS as a community-powered project started with a mission to take back our digital privacy and preserve our online security.
• Launched Production servers available to all subscribers that make a donation, where Google services and tracking are completely blocked (to fully deGoogle/unGoogle your device or your entire life, if you wish). In addition, the servers will also block ads, online trackers, and known malware sites.
• Launched Test server available to anyone free to use. Test server is a replica of a Production server and fully functional; however, it not as reliable as it is prone downtime (during test cycles), small in size, capacity does not scale with usage, and maybe throttled or slow with high demand.