Proton: Difference between revisions

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This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Proton starts moving their infrastructure out of Switzerland===

Proton AG is relocating most of its infrastructure out of Switzerland in response to proposed changes in Swiss surveillance laws that threaten user privacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maguire |first=Eamonn |date=23 July 2025 |title=Introducing Lumo, the AI where every conversation is confidential |url=https://proton.me/blog/lumo-ai#:~:text=Building%2520EuroStack%2520for%2520the%2520future |url-status=live |access-date=12 Aug 2025 |website=proton.me}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Naprys |first=Ernestas |date=19 May 2025 |title=Proton threatens to leave Switzerland amid proposed law changes |url=https://cybernews.com/security/proton-considers-relocation-from-switzerland/ |url-status=live |access-date=12 Aug 2025 |website=cybernews.com}}</ref> The amendments would require companies, including VPNs and messaging services, to identify users and retain their data, which contradicts Proton's commitment to providing secure and private services. To maintain its privacy standards, Proton plans to move its infrastructure to countries like Germany and Norway, where it can operate without the risk of mass surveillance.

Proton AG is relocating most of its infrastructure out of Switzerland in response to proposed changes in Swiss surveillance laws that threaten user privacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maguire |first=Eamonn |date=23 July 2025 |title=Introducing Lumo, the AI where every conversation is confidential |url=https://proton.me/blog/lumo-ai#:~:text=Building%2520EuroStack%2520for%2520the%2520future |url-status=live |access-date=12 Aug 2025 |website=proton.me |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260221124827/https://proton.me/blog/lumo-ai |archive-date=21 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Naprys |first=Ernestas |date=19 May 2025 |title=Proton threatens to leave Switzerland amid proposed law changes |url=https://cybernews.com/security/proton-considers-relocation-from-switzerland/ |url-status=live |access-date=12 Aug 2025 |website=cybernews.com |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251101043041/https://cybernews.com/security/proton-considers-relocation-from-switzerland/ |archive-date=1 Nov 2025}}</ref> The amendments would require companies, including VPNs and messaging services, to identify users and retain their data, which contradicts Proton's commitment to providing secure and private services. To maintain its privacy standards, Proton plans to move its infrastructure to countries like Germany and Norway, where it can operate without the risk of mass surveillance.

CEO Andy Yen has emphasized that if these laws are enacted, Proton would be less confidential than competitors like Google, making it unsustainable for their business model.

===Proton suspends journalists accounts who investigated North Korean cyberattacks===

In June of 2025, writers for the magazine Phrack were investigating cyberattacks from a North Korean group that targeted South Korea's defense infrastructure. The writers disclosed the news of this attack through a dedicated Protonmail account that would only be used for informing South Korea. At the start of August they stopped receiving communication from South Korea, and on August 15th, their dedicated account for disclosure was suspended. The next day a journalist's personal Proton account was suspended as well. When the suspension was appealed, Proton rejected the appeal stating "your account will cause further damage to our service, therefore we will keep the account suspended." After numerous attempts to make contact with Proton, Phrack reached out publicly via X to Proton. Proton responded saying they had received an alert from a ~~computer emergency response team~~ who claimed hackers were misusing the specified Proton accounts. The journalists' accounts were re-instated the day after, but the CERT who made the report was not identified.

In June of 2025, writers for the magazine Phrack were investigating cyberattacks from a North Korean group that targeted South Korea's defense infrastructure. The writers disclosed the news of this attack through a dedicated Protonmail account that would only be used for informing South Korea. At the start of August they stopped receiving communication from South Korea, and on August 15th, their dedicated account for disclosure was suspended. The next day a journalist's personal Proton account was suspended as well. When the suspension was appealed, Proton rejected the appeal stating "your account will cause further damage to our service, therefore we will keep the account suspended." After numerous attempts to make contact with Proton, Phrack reached out publicly via X to Proton. Proton responded saying they had received an alert from a CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) who claimed hackers were misusing the specified Proton accounts. The journalists' accounts were re-instated the day after, but the CERT who made the report was not identified.

===Forced Arbitration===

===Forced Arbitration and Class Action Waiver===

<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-02 |title=Terms of Service |url=https://proton.me/legal/terms |url-status=live |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=Proton}}</ref>

In order to create a Proton account, users accept Proton's Terms of Service, which include a [[forced arbitration]] agreement and [[class action]] waiver.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-02 |title=Terms of Service |url=https://proton.me/legal/terms |url-status=live |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=Proton |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260126155126/https://proton.me/legal/terms |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref>

== Products ==

==Products==

*Lumo AI

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==References==

{{reflist}}{{Cite web |last=Mazurov |first=Nikita |date=2025-09-12 |title=Proton Mail Suspended Journalist Accounts at Request of Cybersecurity Agency |url=https://theintercept.com/2025/09/12/proton-mail-journalist-accounts-suspended/ |url-status=live |website=The Intercept}}

{{reflist}}{{Cite web |last=Mazurov |first=Nikita |date=2025-09-12 |title=Proton Mail Suspended Journalist Accounts at Request of Cybersecurity Agency |url=https://theintercept.com/2025/09/12/proton-mail-journalist-accounts-suspended/ |url-status=live |website=The Intercept |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260202140231/https://theintercept.com/2025/09/12/proton-mail-journalist-accounts-suspended/ |archive-date=2 Feb 2026}}

{{Cite web |date=2025-09-19 |title=Phrack Journalists Suspended from Proton Mail |url=https://redact.dev/blog/proton-mail-journalist-suspensions-cert-alert |url-status=live}}

{{Cite web |date=2025-09-19 |title=Phrack Journalists Suspended from Proton Mail |url=https://redact.dev/blog/proton-mail-journalist-suspensions-cert-alert |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260224122322/https://redact.dev/blog/proton-mail-journalist-suspensions-cert-alert |archive-date=24 Feb 2026}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

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 This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
 ===Proton starts moving their infrastructure out of Switzerland===
-Proton AG is relocating most of its infrastructure out of Switzerland in response to proposed changes in Swiss surveillance laws that threaten user privacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maguire |first=Eamonn |date=23 July 2025 |title=Introducing Lumo, the AI where every conversation is confidential |url=https://proton.me/blog/lumo-ai#:~:text=Building%2520EuroStack%2520for%2520the%2520future |url-status=live |access-date=12 Aug 2025 |website=proton.me}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Naprys |first=Ernestas |date=19 May 2025 |title=Proton threatens to leave Switzerland amid proposed law changes |url=https://cybernews.com/security/proton-considers-relocation-from-switzerland/ |url-status=live |access-date=12 Aug 2025 |website=cybernews.com}}</ref> The amendments would require companies, including VPNs and messaging services, to identify users and retain their data, which contradicts Proton's commitment to providing secure and private services. To maintain its privacy standards, Proton plans to move its infrastructure to countries like Germany and Norway, where it can operate without the risk of mass surveillance.
+Proton AG is relocating most of its infrastructure out of Switzerland in response to proposed changes in Swiss surveillance laws that threaten user privacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maguire |first=Eamonn |date=23 July 2025 |title=Introducing Lumo, the AI where every conversation is confidential |url=https://proton.me/blog/lumo-ai#:~:text=Building%2520EuroStack%2520for%2520the%2520future |url-status=live |access-date=12 Aug 2025 |website=proton.me |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260221124827/https://proton.me/blog/lumo-ai |archive-date=21 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Naprys |first=Ernestas |date=19 May 2025 |title=Proton threatens to leave Switzerland amid proposed law changes |url=https://cybernews.com/security/proton-considers-relocation-from-switzerland/ |url-status=live |access-date=12 Aug 2025 |website=cybernews.com |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251101043041/https://cybernews.com/security/proton-considers-relocation-from-switzerland/ |archive-date=1 Nov 2025}}</ref> The amendments would require companies, including VPNs and messaging services, to identify users and retain their data, which contradicts Proton's commitment to providing secure and private services. To maintain its privacy standards, Proton plans to move its infrastructure to countries like Germany and Norway, where it can operate without the risk of mass surveillance.
 CEO Andy Yen has emphasized that if these laws are enacted, Proton would be less confidential than competitors like Google, making it unsustainable for their business model.
 ===Proton suspends journalists accounts who investigated North Korean cyberattacks===
-In June of 2025, writers for the magazine Phrack were investigating cyberattacks from a North Korean group that targeted South Korea's defense infrastructure. The writers disclosed the news of this attack through a dedicated Protonmail account that would only be used for informing South Korea. At the start of August they stopped receiving communication from South Korea, and on August 15th, their dedicated account for disclosure was suspended. The next day a journalist's personal Proton account was suspended as well. When the suspension was appealed, Proton rejected the appeal stating "your account will cause further damage to our service, therefore we will keep the account suspended." After numerous attempts to make contact with Proton, Phrack reached out publicly via X to Proton. Proton responded saying they had received an alert from a computer emergency response team who claimed hackers were misusing the specified Proton accounts. The journalists' accounts were re-instated the day after, but the CERT who made the report was not identified.
+{{Main|Proton Mail discloses activist IP address to police}}
+In June of 2025, writers for the magazine Phrack were investigating cyberattacks from a North Korean group that targeted South Korea's defense infrastructure. The writers disclosed the news of this attack through a dedicated Protonmail account that would only be used for informing South Korea. At the start of August they stopped receiving communication from South Korea, and on August 15th, their dedicated account for disclosure was suspended. The next day a journalist's personal Proton account was suspended as well. When the suspension was appealed, Proton rejected the appeal stating "your account will cause further damage to our service, therefore we will keep the account suspended." After numerous attempts to make contact with Proton, Phrack reached out publicly via X to Proton. Proton responded saying they had received an alert from a CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) who claimed hackers were misusing the specified Proton accounts. The journalists' accounts were re-instated the day after, but the CERT who made the report was not identified.
-===Forced Arbitration===
+===Forced Arbitration and Class Action Waiver===
-<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-02 |title=Terms of Service |url=https://proton.me/legal/terms |url-status=live |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=Proton}}</ref>
+In order to create a Proton account, users accept Proton's Terms of Service, which include a [[forced arbitration]] agreement and [[class action]] waiver.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-02 |title=Terms of Service |url=https://proton.me/legal/terms |url-status=live |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=Proton |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260126155126/https://proton.me/legal/terms |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref>
-== Products ==
+==Products==
 *Lumo AI
@@ Line 47: / Line 48: @@
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}{{Cite web |last=Mazurov |first=Nikita |date=2025-09-12 |title=Proton Mail Suspended Journalist Accounts at Request of Cybersecurity Agency |url=https://theintercept.com/2025/09/12/proton-mail-journalist-accounts-suspended/ |url-status=live |website=The Intercept}}
+{{reflist}}{{Cite web |last=Mazurov |first=Nikita |date=2025-09-12 |title=Proton Mail Suspended Journalist Accounts at Request of Cybersecurity Agency |url=https://theintercept.com/2025/09/12/proton-mail-journalist-accounts-suspended/ |url-status=live |website=The Intercept |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260202140231/https://theintercept.com/2025/09/12/proton-mail-journalist-accounts-suspended/ |archive-date=2 Feb 2026}}
-{{Cite web |date=2025-09-19 |title=Phrack Journalists Suspended from Proton Mail |url=https://redact.dev/blog/proton-mail-journalist-suspensions-cert-alert |url-status=live}}
+{{Cite web |date=2025-09-19 |title=Phrack Journalists Suspended from Proton Mail |url=https://redact.dev/blog/proton-mail-journalist-suspensions-cert-alert |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260224122322/https://redact.dev/blog/proton-mail-journalist-suspensions-cert-alert |archive-date=24 Feb 2026}}
 [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]