Protonmail Gives Logs to Swiss Govt

[Rottendog]

ProtonMail Logs Activist's IP Address With Authorities After Swiss Court Order

Despite its "no logs" policy, ProtonMail discloses an activist's IP address to authorities.

thehackernews.com

ProtonMail logged IP address of French activist after order by Swiss authorities | TechCrunch

ProtonMail, a hosted email service with a focus on end-to-end encrypted communications, has been facing criticism after a police report showed that French

techcrunch.com

ProtonMail under fire after giving authorities an activist's IP address

As detailed in our transparency report, our published threat model, and also our privacy policy, under Swiss law, Proton can be forced to collect information on accounts belonging to users under Swiss criminal investigation. This is obviously not done by default, but only if Proton gets a legal...

www.engadget.com

Make whatever you will of that.

 

[fooba]

"Proton must comply with Swiss law. As soon as a crime is committed, privacy protections can be suspended and we're required by Swiss law to answer requests from Swiss authorities," ProtonMail founder and CEO Andy Yen tweeted, adding "It's deplorable that legal tools for serious crimes are being used in this way. But by law, [ProtonMail] must comply with Swiss criminal investigations. This is obviously not done by default, but only if legally forced."

 

[WeightLossBurn]

ProtonMail Logs Activist's IP Address With Authorities After Swiss Court Order

Despite its "no logs" policy, ProtonMail discloses an activist's IP address to authorities.

thehackernews.com

ProtonMail logged IP address of French activist after order by Swiss authorities | TechCrunch

ProtonMail, a hosted email service with a focus on end-to-end encrypted communications, has been facing criticism after a police report showed that French

techcrunch.com

ProtonMail under fire after giving authorities an activist's IP address

As detailed in our transparency report, our published threat model, and also our privacy policy, under Swiss law, Proton can be forced to collect information on accounts belonging to users under Swiss criminal investigation. This is obviously not done by default, but only if Proton gets a legal...

www.engadget.com

Make whatever you will of that.

Appreciate the info. It's an is what it is situation.

 

[killler]

Disgraceful announcement.

And activists should use Tor for making and accessing mails.

 

[MisterSuperGod]

So if they suspect or know or whatever that i've committed a crime with their email, first the Swiss want to know about it and then what? Bring it to the attention of US authorities, i would assume?

i get two countries chomping at the bit to have my head on a stick over my 2x year purchases of hormonal goods?

i'm flattered. If it means that much to them, come and get me. Invest time and money into a nobody like me, then house me and feed me on the tax payers dime.

Plus all the free prison sex i can take!? Almost makes me want to get busted.

 

[Rottendog]

Plus all the free prison sex i can take!? Almost makes me want to get busted.

Well, I mean obviously the buttseks will be fab, but still...


"Anonymous Email

Protect Your Privacy

No personal information is required to create your secure email account. By default, we do not keep any IP logs which can be linked to your anonymous email account. Your privacy comes first."

vs

"Proton must comply with Swiss law. As soon as a crime is committed, privacy protections can be suspended and we're required by Swiss law to answer requests from Swiss authorities."

 

[MindlessWork]

Well, I mean obviously the buttseks will be fab, but still...


"Anonymous Email

Protect Your Privacy

No personal information is required to create your secure email account. By default, we do not keep any IP logs which can be linked to your anonymous email account. Your privacy comes first."

vs

"Proton must comply with Swiss law. As soon as a crime is committed, privacy protections can be suspended and we're required by Swiss law to answer requests from Swiss authorities."

That can also open the door for foreign countries to request the Swiss equivalent of the FBI to obtain warrants on their behalf for getting access to Protonmail accounts belonging to such countries' residents that are under investigation.

For example the DOJ/FBI can make a request to the Swiss government for a warrant for a Protonmail account owned by someone who is under investigation.

So food for thought...

 

[WeightLossBurn]

That can also open the door for foreign countries to request the Swiss equivalent of the FBI to obtain warrants on their behalf for getting access to Protonmail accounts belonging to such countries' residents that are under investigation.

For example the DOJ/FBI can make a request to the Swiss government for a warrant for a Protonmail account owned by someone who is under investigation.

So food for thought...

Tutanota is not as user friendly. But does this mean we should head that way?

 

[MindlessWork]

Tutanota is not as user friendly. But does this mean we should head that way?

No not necessarily, a good way is to use a VPN when you access any secure email provider.

 

[WeightLossBurn]

I do VPN... And @MisterSuperGod is right. A subpoena on emails is typically a good way to find what's really going on at trash hauling companies. Something a little more interesting...

 

[Rottendog]

Thanks to whoever moved this - I didn't see the correct forum until I had already posted, it.

To be clear, IDGAF what email provider people use and am not freaking out about this or suggesting that anyone else does, either. It's just a story that's making the rounds in security/privacy groups and I figured that since some people here insist on using *only* proton for communication, some people here might be interested in the story. My takeaway is that outsourcing privacy is always risky, and multilayer security is always good.

According to someone at proton, if you use either their VPN, another VPN or TOR they can only give those IPs to LEAs, and supposedly they currently cannot be compelled to give out info on their own VPN. How long that remains true is anyone's guess. Apparently their number of requests/demands for IP info has jumped from the teens in 2017 to a few thousand last year.

 

[MindlessWork]

Thanks to whoever moved this - I didn't see the correct forum until I had already posted, it.

To be clear, IDGAF what email provider people use and am not freaking out about this or suggesting that anyone else does, either. It's just a story that's making the rounds in security/privacy groups and I figured that since some people here insist on using *only* proton for communication, some people here might be interested in the story. My takeaway is that outsourcing privacy is always risky, and multilayer security is always good.

According to someone at proton, if you use either their VPN, another VPN or TOR they can only give those IPs to LEAs, and supposedly they currently cannot be compelled to give out info on their own VPN. How long that remains true is anyone's guess. Apparently their number of requests/demands for IP info has jumped from the teens in 2017 to a few thousand last year.

I am sure it's not just the Swiss authorities, but from foreign governments that requested the Swiss to obtain information from Proton on their behalf as these countries cannot compel Proton to hand it over directly to them, except to the Swiss LE that filed lawful warrants.

 

[Gbro]

Europol. The Swiss gov is part of it. USA isn't.

 

[MindlessWork]

Europol. The Swiss gov is part of it. USA isn't.

True that but USA or any other non-EU western nation can make requests to them however, for things like getting warrants for info from Protonmail for some user info for a person under investigation for example.

 

[Gbro]

It was an interpol request. Not a random small town PD.

 

[MindlessWork]

It was an interpol request. Not a random small town PD.

Yes that was it, but think of the possibility that other countries can make requests to the Swiss, hypothetically speaking? The USA and other countries just can't compel Protonmail to disclose user information as they are under Swiss law.

 

[Gbro]

Yes that was it, but think of the possibility that other countries can make requests to the Swiss, hypothetically speaking? The USA and other countries just can't compel Protonmail to disclose user information as they are under Swiss law.

I can think about it, but its important to understand what Interpol is and how it works.

 

[oldie59]

I use ctemplar they are based in iceland

 

[malfeasance]

According to its transparency report, ProtonMail received 13 orders from Swiss authorities back in 2017 — but that had swelled to over three and a half thousand (3,572!) by 2020.

The number of foreign requests to Swiss authorities which are being approved has also risen, although not as steeply — with ProtonMail reporting receiving 13 such requests in 2017 — rising to 195 in 2020.

 

[may2021]

Then there's this

NSA May Have Backdoors Built Into Intel And AMD Processors

An expert makes a bold claim that the NSA may have hidden backdoor access built into AMD and Intel CPU processors.

www.eteknix.com