[GTALUG] Protonmail WAS: Re: Linux Unicorns

[Giles Orr]

On Tue, 28 Nov 2023 at 12:13, Evan Leibovitch via talk <talk at gtalug.org> wrote:
> Both the choice of OS and where hosted is infrastructure, operational issues, and rarely part of a startup's pitch. If there is a privacy or security component to the proposal's added value the hosting may be a factor (ie, not hosted in a Five  Eyes country) but I think even that is less of a factor with revelations that much claimed protection is an illusion.

( https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2023/08/08/protonmail-fbi-search-led-to-a-suspect-threatening-a-2020-election-official/
)

You're unhappy with ProtonMail?  You thought they should protect all
anonymity in defiance of the law?  I think these quotes (from the
article you cited) are worth reading:

"Proton did say, however, that by Swiss law, for U.S. agencies to get
information on Proton accounts, they have to go through Swiss
authorities."

"The FBI didn’t get much back from Proton, but it did receive the
recovery and associated email addresses linked to the ProtonMail user.
They proved crucial, enabling the FBI to find more information about
the person online and conduct a sweep across the suspect's internet
accounts, including on Amazon, Apple, Coinbase, Google, PayPal and
Spotify."

I'm fond of the law.  I like to see it enforced.  Protonmail lives in
Switzerland, under Swiss law ... I'm okay with them complying with
those laws.  Sure Protonmail isn't perfect - but it's a hell of a lot
better than Gmail.

(Yes, I do use Protonmail.  I pay them - they don't pay me to say this.)

-- 
Giles
https://www.gilesorr.com/
gilesorr at gmail.com