this post was submitted on 09 May 2024
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Privacy
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I do not blame Proton for complying with a request - it is a completely expected action from a company. However, I would blame them for advertising that makes them seem safer than they are for people who don't know better.
What kind of advertising are you referring to exactly?
This is near the top on their landing page:
In the EU, one's IP address can be considered private data as it can be used for identification. So far Proton has been caught handing over alternative email addresses and IP addresses, meaning their primary USP isn't really accurate. At least not insofar as governments are concerned. I understand this occurred via Swiss court order, but they should not be headquartered in Switzerland. Panama has a history of rejecting foreign interference. All unencrypted data should be stored in Panama.
Privacy is simply not a binary concept. Proton is as private as it can possibly (and legally) be, so I don't think that checks out.
That's clearly inaccurate, since they could be headquartered in Panama, and store their data there. That would make them immune to Swiss court orders. There are already hosts which provide server space in Panama for exactly this reason.
LOL you can't be serious. They would just be subject to Panamanian court orders.
They are located in Switzerland specifically because it's the most privacy-respecting country on the planet. If they get a court order in Switzerland, they're gonna get one literally anywhere else.
Yes, and since Panama has a long history of telling foreign nations to fuck off, data is much safer there than in Switzerland. At least as a non-Panamanian. You claim Switzerland is the "most privacy-respecting country on the planet," but I'd like to see the evidence. Since they comply with every court order, then I would argue one's data is no safer in Switzerland than most other European countries. Which is to say, completely unsafe from most Western governments.
What makes you think that?
Because they are required to by law in Switzerland, and would face sanction if they did not.
That's not entirely correct, and in fact they do successfully challenge a large number of them.