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  "path": "/t/proton-mail-helped-fbi-unmask-anonymous-stop-cop-city-protester/36007?page=3#post_51",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-06T21:35:47.000Z",
  "site": "https://discuss.privacyguides.net",
  "tags": [
    "they have found a way to NOT connect the data that they receive during credit card payments with your email account with them.",
    "Proton does not accept anonymous payments."
  ],
  "textContent": "**IMHO, THE HEADLINE IS ACCURATE**\n\nValynor:\n\n> “Proton Mail Helped FBI” != “Proton did not provide any information to the FBI”\n>\n> so right from the start this is a bad article because the headline states something that is immediately rejected by PM in the article.\n\nI disagree. Words have meaning. How you use them matters, and this headline to me strikes accurate. Proton helped the FBI. They helped an FBI investigation. The fact that they didn’t directly hand over the user’s info to the FBI is irrelevant. The original request was made by the FBI, and they got the information they asked for from the Swiss government who compelled Proton to do so.\n\nValynor:\n\n> They got presented with a **legally binding order from Swiss authorities** , they followed the law. And honestly that’s all there is to say about it IMHO.\n\nYes, Proton followed the law. Nobody is saying they should have disobeyed the law. But the truth is this: **most Proton users are unaware of all the types of information Proton holds that are not E2EE and that can be shared with authorities.** And in my opinion, **that is partly Proton’s fault** because Proton is not completely upfront about it.\n\nBy that I mean that Proton doesn’t share ALL that information in their marketing or make it easily available on their website. It’s not front and center. They are open about the fact that some of the metadata around your emails is not E2EE, but that doesn’t cover everything. There are a lot of things they have NOT communicated in their marketing or on their website that you have to ask to know the answer.\n\nI am sure that a lot of people here had no idea that your recovery email address could identify you until the controversy about that Spanish activist who was identified through their Apple ID that they used as recovery.\n\nSome companies keep records of the information you delete, and we don’t know the full details of that. For example, 1Password keeps a record of all the email addresses you used with your account even after you change it. I had to ask Proton to find out if they keep records of deleted recovery email addresses. It was not in their marketing nor on their website. I don’t believe that has changed.\n\n**PROTON BARES SOME RESPONSIBILITY AND CAN DO BETTER**\n\narise1984:\n\n> Expecting to be fully anonymous then proceed to pay a service with visa/mastercard that could be tracked back to them is a massive fukup from that activists. Thats like opsec 101.\n\nWho said the activist expected to be anonymous? We don’t know that.\n\nIn my opinion, as with many companies, there is a significant gap between Proton’s marketing messaging and what they actually deliver in terms of protection. Ideally that gap should be tiny, but many people, understandably, only retain what it is in the marketing.\n\nIf Proton were forthright about what they don’t protect in the marketing and communication on social media and websites, we would hear less about these cases.\n\nI understand that Proton is rightly obeying the law. But the reason these controversies look bad is because there is a lack of transparency. I suspect that Proton doesn’t want to be so transparent that it hurts their marketing efforts, but I still believe that more transparency and better efforts to protect user privacy would go a long way.\n\nanon4124882:\n\n> Human error when setting up your OPSEC is to blame. Not the company following the law or the law itself.\n\nBhaelros:\n\n> Who would have tought Proton will give whatever info they have to courts if there is a valid order? Which are also very limited, like your IPs, recovery methods, subject of the mail, and so on. Blaming Proton for complying with local law and also having zero clue about privacy, well..\n\narchetypicalswan:\n\n> I don’t think it’s _good_ that Proton revealed this info, but I fail to see what choice any company has in the matter? They could refuse to follow the law I guess?\n\nanon4124882:\n\n> What would you have Proton do? Break the law and not provide details it had for a legal order?\n\nI disagree that there isn’t much Proton can do. There is actually a lot.\n\n_**1. Be transparent about ALL the things that can be shared about you in full detail.**_\n_**2. Be transparent about ALL the information that you retain and for how long.**_\n_**3. Make that information clear, explicit, comprehensive, and easy to find.**_\n\nPut it in your marketing. Let people see it when they sign up and easily find this information when they visit your website. Include it in the welcome email.\n\n_**4. Make your credit card payments anonymous like Posteo.**_\n\nPosteo is a private email provider in Germany, and they have found a way to NOT connect the data that they receive during credit card payments with your email account with them.\n\nThey have been doing this since 2009! Why can’t Proton follow this model?\n\n_**5. Accept anonymous payments.**_\n\nContrary to popular belief, Proton does not accept anonymous payments. And that is a big problem.",
  "title": "Proton Mail Helped FBI Unmask Anonymous ‘Stop Cop City’ Protester"
}