Proton Mail: Difference between revisions
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==False advertising and working with authorities== | ==False advertising and working with authorities== | ||
Up to 2021, Protonmail has advertised itself as a private and secure service with the following under "Anonymous email": <blockquote>"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."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Secure email: Proton is free encrypted email. |url=https://proton.me/mail |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831234120/https://protonmail.com/ |archive-date=2021-08-31 |website=ProtonMail}}</ref> </blockquote>As it turned out, that statement was false. In September 2021, a member of a French activist group had been using ProtonMail to communicate with other groups. As an investigation was launched involving them, the email provider handed over the user's IP address and other data, including the device they were using.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lomas |first=Natasha |date=2021-09-06 |title=ProtonMail logged IP address of French activist after order by Swiss authorities |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/06/protonmail-logged-ip-address-of-french-activist-after-order-by-swiss-authorities/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-11-19 |website=TechCrunch}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Salter |first=Jim |date=2021-09-07 |title=ProtonMail removed “we do not keep any IP logs” from its privacy policy |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/09/privacy-focused-protonmail-provided-a-users-ip-address-to-authorities/ |access-date=2025-11-19 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> The section was changed shortly after getting attention from news outlets and the general public.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Secure email: ProtonMail is free encrypted email. |url=https://proton.me |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907033644/https://protonmail.com/ |archive-date=2021-09-07 |access-date=2025-11-19 |website=ProtonMail}}</ref> <!-- This needs a format restructure or a main incident page, but I can't be bothered to learn it right now. I just do tone and citations... -raster --> | Up to 2021, Protonmail has advertised itself as a private and secure service with the following under "Anonymous email": <blockquote>"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."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Secure email: Proton is free encrypted email. |url=https://proton.me/mail |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831234120/https://protonmail.com/ |archive-date=2021-08-31 |website=ProtonMail}}</ref> </blockquote>As it turned out, that statement was false. In September 2021, a member of a French activist group had been using ProtonMail to communicate with other groups. As an investigation was launched involving them, the email provider handed over the user's IP address and other data, including the device they were using.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lomas |first=Natasha |date=2021-09-06 |title=ProtonMail logged IP address of French activist after order by Swiss authorities |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/06/protonmail-logged-ip-address-of-french-activist-after-order-by-swiss-authorities/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-11-19 |website=TechCrunch |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260112062019/https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/06/protonmail-logged-ip-address-of-french-activist-after-order-by-swiss-authorities/ |archive-date=12 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Salter |first=Jim |date=2021-09-07 |title=ProtonMail removed “we do not keep any IP logs” from its privacy policy |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/09/privacy-focused-protonmail-provided-a-users-ip-address-to-authorities/ |access-date=2025-11-19 |website=Ars Technica |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251209002537/https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/09/privacy-focused-protonmail-provided-a-users-ip-address-to-authorities/ |archive-date=9 Dec 2025}}</ref> The section was changed shortly after getting attention from news outlets and the general public.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Secure email: ProtonMail is free encrypted email. |url=https://proton.me |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907033644/https://protonmail.com/ |archive-date=2021-09-07 |access-date=2025-11-19 |website=ProtonMail}}</ref> <!-- This needs a format restructure or a main incident page, but I can't be bothered to learn it right now. I just do tone and citations... -raster --> | ||
===ProtonMail's Response=== | ===ProtonMail's Response=== | ||
Protonmail responded that it is not required to comply with authorities such as EUROPOL. Although this may be true, in cases of investigations, larger organizations from outside simply use the Swiss government as a middleman to facilitate any request they wish. ProtonMail is not anonymous, and any information will be handed over when requested by the Swiss government, which also cooperates with other investigative authorities, leading to essentially no protection in the event of such an occurrence.{{Citation needed|reason=link below is not for this topic}} | Protonmail responded that it is not required to comply with authorities such as EUROPOL. Although this may be true, in cases of investigations, larger organizations from outside simply use the Swiss government as a middleman to facilitate any request they wish. ProtonMail is not anonymous, and any information will be handed over when requested by the Swiss government, which also cooperates with other investigative authorities, leading to essentially no protection in the event of such an occurrence.{{Citation needed|reason=link below is not for this topic}} | ||
Proton has created video conferencing integrations with Zoom, a non-private platform.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Proton opts for Zoom videoconferencing |url=https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/proton-opts-for-zoom-videoconferencing/24569 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260217082923/https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/proton-opts-for-zoom-videoconferencing/24569 |archive-date=17 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-11-20 |website=Privacy Guides Community}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=How to add Zoom meetings to event invitations |url=https://proton.me/support/calendar-zoom |access-date=2025-11-20 |website=Proton}}</ref> <!-- Probably needs a new section unrelated to this incident. --> | Proton has created video conferencing integrations with Zoom, a non-private platform.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Proton opts for Zoom videoconferencing |url=https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/proton-opts-for-zoom-videoconferencing/24569 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260217082923/https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/proton-opts-for-zoom-videoconferencing/24569 |archive-date=17 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-11-20 |website=Privacy Guides Community}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=How to add Zoom meetings to event invitations |url=https://proton.me/support/calendar-zoom |access-date=2025-11-20 |website=Proton |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260215155903/https://proton.me/support/calendar-zoom |archive-date=15 Feb 2026}}</ref> <!-- Probably needs a new section unrelated to this incident. --> | ||
==Harsh inactive account policy== | ==Harsh inactive account policy== | ||