Proton Mail gave FBI payment data from Swiss servers, proving encrypted email privacy has limits when governments use legal treaties to demand user information.

Proton Mail provided Swiss authorities with payment data for defendtheatlantaforest@protonmail.com — the account linked to Stop Cop City protests in Atlanta. The FBI obtained this information through a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty request on January 25, 2024, identifying the activist behind the anonymous account through their credit card identifier.

  • Reznik@lemmy.zipEnglish
    131·
    2 days ago

    Not good. But not as bad as the headline suggets. It’s about the payment method. And proton offers serveral options:

    You can pay for your subscription using Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and PayPal. You can also use Proton gift cards and credits. Once you’ve created your account, you can purchase credits with cash, bank transfers, or Bitcoin.

    So buying credits with cash or bitcoin should be the way if you want to stay anonymous. Still it’s a good reminder that you have to control a service if you want it to be save.