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

cross-posted from : https://lemmy.zip/post/60387297

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.

  • GreatWhiteBuffalo41@slrpnk.netEnglish
    7·
    19 hours ago

    I’m pretty sure proton offers a crypto payment of some form. Which would mean if this person had used that instead of a credit card, theoretically there wouldn’t be anything to subpoena.

    Either way, email isn’t exactly safe.