this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2025
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To add to the discussion we had some month ago, where some people said the planned laws would never come to be and would never be a threat: proton decided to differ and to move parts of the infrastructure to other countries.

https://www.heise.de/en/news/Surveillance-Proton-relocates-parts-of-its-infrastructure-from-Switzerland-10538664.html

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[–] SierpinskiDreieck@feddit.org 24 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

It seems they take privacy serious, that is a good thing.

Also not a fan of their whole Trump thing, but if our whole plan is to pressure consumers to only buy from "good cooperations" we might as well just give up. That is a "US-liberal" form of protest, and utterly ineffective. Use what is easy, cheap and offers the protection you need and spend your energy on building something worthwhile.

[–] Zwiebel@feddit.org 12 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

It irks me a little when someone asks where they should move to from gmail and the responses bash proton because the ceo made a shit take on twitter, like cmon. Some people really wanna be the enemy of good

[–] Der_Mann_mit_Hut@feddit.org 1 points 3 weeks ago

The whole Trump thing is extremely embellished by some idiotic zealots who only want a PERFECTLY PURE product from PERFECTLY PURE and ideological exactly matching persons.

[–] FarraigePlaisteach@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I’m losing track of who the good guys are. The most unethical e-mail companies involved in military or facisms in my view (and I’m no expert) are:

  • Microsoft
  • Google

Gray area would be Proton until I find out what material advantage - if any / their Trump-supporting member provides to fascism in the U.S. and beyond.

Better options as I see them (again, I’m not an expert):

  • Tuta Mail
  • Posteo

There’s a good breakdown of ethical option here: https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/technology/shopping-guide/ethical-email-providers

[–] Zwiebel@feddit.org 7 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Proton isn't perfect but it's worlds better than gmail. I'm content with using their free tier, but not convinced to pay for their expensive plans.

Here's another breakdown: https://www.privacyguides.org/en/email/

[–] FarraigePlaisteach@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

I think it's way better than Gmail too. But if even better options exist, then I'm gone at the first whiff of fascism, discrimination or military involvement. Making a choice on privacy alone is mostly for individualists, IMO. Individualism is what got is into this mess in the first place.

[–] huppakee@feddit.nl 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I got Mail plus with a discount, it's their only service I really use anyway. Don't think I actually made use of it. Registered some aliasses since I could, but don't use them so +1 from me.

[–] Zwiebel@feddit.org 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The discount is only for one year isn't it? You're gonna pay full price after that

[–] huppakee@feddit.nl 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, if my discounted year would end today I would not renew it. Back then I thought I might want to upgrade to the full plan after a year but now I've come to think it might be better to get these services from a bunch of different companies instead of one all-inclusive package. Maybe I'll takr the effort and switch to Tuta mail. Or maybe I'll just downgrade back to the free plan. Not sure yet.

[–] Zwiebel@feddit.org 1 points 3 weeks ago

You probably have to cancel a month in advance before it auto renews

[–] SrMono@feddit.org 7 points 3 weeks ago

Love my mailbox.org

[–] hubobes@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] SrMono@feddit.org 2 points 3 weeks ago

Yet enough fuzz to influence company decisions.

[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub 1 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)
[–] sanpo@sopuli.xyz 24 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Would you people stop with that?

Yes, they fucked up. They're far from perfect.

They're still far better option than Google and Microsoft.

[–] gmtom@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Calling praising fascists a "fuck up" is not a good look.

How about we support companies that dont support facists at all?

[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub 0 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I'd rather host myself then use their services.

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 32 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It is nice that you have the abilities, infrastructure and time to do that. Most people don't.

I sometimes bake my own bread. But i know that this is not an option for most people, so bakeries are needed.

[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub 4 points 3 weeks ago

Well obviously it would be better to have more options of companies to choose from that protect my privacy and support my values.

However, this is the point of a boycott. One might think that would be the spirit of this community.

There are other email providers, some that don't support fascists.

[–] jagermo@feddit.org 13 points 3 weeks ago

Running your own mail? Good luck

[–] SrMono@feddit.org 12 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Yea, we had some discussions about that, but that isn't the point.

A known player moving its IT due to changes in law is the point.

[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub -5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

This is more or less an ad for a company with a CEO that has a pro-fascist agenda.

If the point was to illustrate something about laws in Switzerland then that should have been the subject of the article.

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 5 points 3 weeks ago

The planned amendments to the Swiss Ordinance on the Surveillance of Postal and Telecommunications Traffic (VÜPF) and the associated implementing provisions continue to make waves. Proton has now confirmed that the provider of encrypted communication services has begun withdrawing IT infrastructures from Switzerland due to the legal uncertainty associated with the project.

In a blog post on the launch of Lumo, Eamonn Maguire, Head of Anti-Abuse and Account Security at Proton, explained that the company had decided to invest outside Switzerland for fear of the impending legislative changes. In light of the Swiss government's plans "to introduce mass surveillance", which is prohibited in the EU, the provider is moving "the majority of its physical infrastructure" out of the Alpine republic. The start was made with the chatbot.

....

According to the controversial initiative of the Swiss Federal Council and the Federal Department of Justice and Police, online services with at least 5,000 users would also have to store metadata such as IP addresses and port numbers for six months and help the police and intelligence services to decrypt content. According to the plan, there will also be a new requirement for such operators to identify users. They would have to present a copy of their ID or driving license or at least provide a telephone number.

The article both explains the concerns of the effect of the law to move large parts of its infrastructure outside of Switzerland as well as it explains the law and its consequences.

How is that an ad for the company? Should there be no articles about the economic consequences of Switzerland's planned mass surveillance, to avoid risking that companies could be presented positively for reacting to such laws?

[–] Der_Mann_mit_Hut@feddit.org 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

This utterly moronic take is so much a danger to the security of the average user that i am now at a point where i accuse anyone using it to be a malignant actor.

[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub 4 points 3 weeks ago

I won't support companies that fund, or praise fascists.

If that makes me malignant then I don't want to be benign.

If I am ill-informed, then it shouldn't be hard for the claims in the article to be disputed.

[–] lIlIlIlIlIlIl@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Finally people are starting to wake up to this bullshit. They are not to be trusted