• Varen@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    You had to dig deep to get a news from 2021. and still, private doesn‘t mean anonymous, idk why everyone relates the both.
    And still, no news here, Proton explained this case several times and they‘ve been pretty transparent.

      • Varen@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        let me quote from reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/15luwua/comment/jvd0fz9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3):

        The article doesn’t link the original court filing or discuss what actually happened, and from the title alone, is rather misleading.

        The actual warrant can be found here and has the important missing details: https://drive.proton.me/urls/57QC5F26BW#nseYl6ICaQHm

        The only data we could provide (in response to a binding Swiss legal order), was the user’s recovery email address, which the user added himself, and is optional to begin with.

        Unfortunately, said user also used that recovery address to create a Twitter account, and Twitter turned over his phone number and IP address. So probably not the smartest move if you want to threaten public officials.

        Coincidentally, this case again proves that Proton Mail’s encryption cannot be bypassed by law enforcement.

          • Slotos@feddit.nl
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            1 year ago

            They don’t offer unlimited addresses for your own domain. And I kinda rely on that to route different registrations around. Don’t even need unlimited mailboxes, just the ability to use patterns and direct assignments to route mail to a few mailboxes.

            If that was an option, I’d switch a week ago.

            • dracs@programming.dev
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              1 year ago

              They semi-recently bought Simple Login which you can provide with your own domain. That does allow you to create unlimited addresses and they’ll all be forwarded to the inbox of your choice. Can also disable any addresses when you no longer want them.

            • Atemu@lemmy.ml
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              1 year ago

              I haven’t switched yet but I’m about to.

              Proton seems to have a pretty powerful filtering system that you can program using a DSL: https://proton.me/support/sieve-advanced-custom-filters

              From what I’ve gathered, you can simulate unlimited addresses for your domain by setting up a catch-all. To reply from a certain catch-all’d address, you need to create an address for that name.
              I wonder if you could do that via API; creating and deleting the address just for the moment where you’re sending the reply.

              It’s strange to me that they don’t offer unlimited domains. I guess it’s to discourage business users from using the cheap email plan intended for individuals? That one doesn’t have user management, so that doesn’t really make sense either.

            • mishimaenjoyer@kbin.social
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              1 year ago

              you can use services like proton as much as you want, if you interlink other, more transparent accounts and infos about yourself to it, there’s no one to blame but yourself when the feds knock on your door eventually. “f*cked around and found out”.

              • Varen@kbin.social
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                1 year ago

                agreed on that, but I think, before that would be, don’t try to threaten ppl on the internet and don’t expect to be anonymous by just using a private service. I mean, the mail might be encrypted, but the recipient gets it, can read it and can show it to anyone else.
                still: private ≠ anonymous

                • mishimaenjoyer@kbin.social
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                  1 year ago

                  sure and encryption isn’t even the issue here. i don’t defend ppl sending others threads via mail, that’s unquestionable a very dumb move, but in case you do something else that is privacy sensitive to you - like being a whistleblower, leaking stuff - you should know what you’re doing to protect your identity. using an encrypted, swiss mail service and then have like gmail as your recovery address and use that very mail to register on a social media site isn’t even trying - could have just attatched his phone number in the mail to get over it :>

                  in that case, good for the victim, but bad for proton because there are still so many ppl around thinking services like proton stand above the law and would rather face court than to send the feds a .zip with metadata that could be completly useless if the account was used right.

  • Blizzard@lemmy.zip
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    1 year ago

    Instead of the original Forbes article, this post links to a youtube video, where an “AI-generated newscaster” talks some general crap without providing any details. I wish I could downvote this spam more than once.

  • Raisin8659@monyet.cc
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    1 year ago

    Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2023/08/08/protonmail-fbi-search-led-to-a-suspect-threatening-a-2020-election-official/?sh=48791539235c

    • Claire Woodall-Vogg, the executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, was harassed and threatened after an innocuous email exchange with an election consultant was published by conservative news outlets.
    • One of the harassers used ProtonMail, an encrypted email service, to send Woodall-Vogg a threatening email.
    • The FBI acquired data from Proton Technologies, the owner of ProtonMail, to help them identify the anonymous emailer.
    • The FBI was able to find the suspect’s identity and conduct a sweep across their internet accounts, but they were not charged with any crimes.
    • Woodall-Vogg said that the harassment has not continued recently.
    • ProtonMail said that they employ several teams to handle instances of abuse on their platform and that they only provide metadata to law enforcement agencies.
    • ProtonMail has received 6,995 orders for data in 2022, of which it contested 1,038.

    They said in the past that to retain anonymity, users should use Tor to access the service.

    • Decentralizr@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      As far as I remember, that was back in 2021, and except some Meta data not much what could been shared. If they have been approached under Swiss law, nothing can be done.

    • LollerCorleone@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, a recovery mail address (which is optionally added) that was connected to a Twitter account. There is nothing dishonest happening here. They don’t have access to our mails, but they are legally bound to share the metadata they do have access to when there is a lawful request from a government agency.

  • Hovenko@iusearchlinux.fyi
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    1 year ago

    Mail encyption on proton is useless once you send a mail to google or any other provider. That is not bashing proton, rather to point out that glowies do not need to deal with proton too much to get what they want.

  • Carter@feddit.uk
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    1 year ago

    I’ve always been a bit weary of Proton. They’re trying too hard to be Google for my liking.

    • skadden@ctrlaltelite.xyz
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      1 year ago

      How so? The three biggest things I attribute to Google are search, ads, and their mail/calendar/drive/docs suite. The only thing I see Proton doing is the last, which serves as an alternative to more than just Google.

      (I ask this as someone that does not use Proton as primary for anything)

      • Link.wav [he/him]@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        I do use Proton’s VPN, email client, and calendar. In fact, I’m a paid subscriber.

        To me, it’s ridiculous that their mail and calendar apps are Google Play exclusives. There’s really no excuse for that.