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.

  • Venator@lemmy.nzEnglish
    10·
    17 hours ago

    In this case, wouldn’t rolling your own email server make it even easier to find you, since they’ll just have to look up who registered the domain you used for your email address?

    • floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      4·
      11 hours ago

      Depending on how you register the domain, there are some registrars that require no info at all. One of those paid with Monero creates no links to your identity.

      But yes, self-hosting does not shield you from court orders. If they find you they can still access your shit, depending on how much your country’s infosec police gives a shit and/or how closely they cooperate with US agencies.