ProtonMail
This article is a stub. You can help the IndieWeb wiki by expanding it with relevant information.
ProtonMail is an email service hosted in Switzerland that supports end-to-end encryption and markets itself in terms of privacy. With a business account, you can use your own domain with the service. See https://proton.me/business
IndieWeb Examples
capjamesg uses ProtonMail.
Saige Leah uses ProtonMail on catgirlin.space.SigmundurM uses ProtonMail, with their own domain name.
- Add yourself here… (see this for more details)
Pros
- Provides end-to-end encryption in a usable way.
- ...
Cons
Privacy
ProtonMail may not be as private as advertised.
- 2026-03-07 : The Proton Problem
UX & Features
- UX is a bit rough around the edges.
- The mobile app has been a bit glitchy for capjamesg
- The mobile app has been a bit glitchy for
- It is hard to find an email with the ProtonMail search.
- capjamesg regularly struggles to find emails
See Also
- privacy
- Criticism: https://theintercept.com/2025/01/28/proton-mail-andy-yen-trump-republicans/
- "Proton, the company behind the eponymous email provider Proton Mail, has won itself a loyal fanbase of dissidents, investigative journalists, and others skeptical of the prying eyes of government or Big Tech. Headquartered in Switzerland, the service describes itself as “a neutral and safe haven for your personal data, committed to defending your freedom.”
So it came as a surprise last month when Proton CEO Andy Yen praised the Republican Party in a post on X, declaring that “10 years ago, Republicans were the party of big business and Dems stood for the little guys, but today the tables have completely turned.” When the tweet went viral, Proton’s official Reddit account posted a now-deleted comment stating that “Until corporate Dems are thrown out, the reality is that Republicans remain more likely to tackle Big Tech abuses.”
Most Read
Iran Has Figured Out How to Overwhelm U.S. Air Defenses
Nick Turse
Corporations, Not Immigrants, Are Responsible for Vast Majority of Healthcare Fraud, OIG Report Shows
Jessica Washington
Free Speech Crackdown: Germany Deports Bob Vylan Frontman for Anti-Israel Chants
Hanno Hauenstein
Within hours, Proton deleted its response across social media accounts, stating that the post — which started with the words “Here is our official response” — was in fact “removed because it was not actually an official statement.” The reply went on to say: “Our policy is that official accounts cannot be used to express personal political opinions. If it happens by mistake, we correct it as soon as we notice it.”
A screenshot of Proton’s now-deleted official response to CEO Andy Yen’s post in support of the Republican Party. Screenshot: Reddit Yen further claimed that the post had been an “internal miscommunication,” later also writing that Proton is “politically neutral.”
He followed it up with a longer statement explaining that “while we may share facts and analysis, our policy going forward will be to share no opinions of a political nature. The line between facts, analysis, and opinions can be blurry at times, but we will seek to better clarify this over time through your feedback and input.” Yen didn’t specifically address whether the deleted post had constituted opinion or analysis.
In response to a request for comment, Proton reiterated the claim that it is a “politically neutral organization,” then went on to state that “regardless of one’s views about the wider Republication platform, if you agree that action is needed on antitrust then the appointment of Gail Slater is a positive thing,” referring to President Donald Trump’s choice to head the Justice Department’s antitrust division. Proton further stated that “Big Tech CEOs are tripping over themselves to kiss the ring precisely because Trump represents an unprecedented challenge to their monopolistic dominance.”
When Governments Ask for Data
Yen has repeatedly described Proton as being a “privacy-first” company, and its homepage touts that “With Proton, your data belongs to you, not tech companies, governments, or hackers.” However, Proton has in the past revealed user information to authorities. For instance, Proton previously handed over an IP address at the request of French authorities made via Europol to Swiss police. Yen wrote a Twitter post at the time, stating, “Proton must comply with Swiss law. As soon as a crime is committed, privacy protections can be suspended and we’re required by Swiss law to answer requests from Swiss authorities.”
Proton’s information for law enforcement page states that it requires a copy of a “police report or court order,” albeit either a foreign or domestic one. For its part, Proton told The Intercept that “Proton does not comply with US subpoenas, it doesn’t matter if it’s Biden or Trump in power.”
Andy Yen, co-founder of Proton Mail. Photo: Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images
While Proton states that it “cannot read any of your messages or hand them over to third parties,” the same doesn’t apply to email subjects; sender or recipient names and email addresses; the time a message was sent; or other information in the “header” section of email messages. Proton explicitly states that “if served with a valid Swiss court order, we do have the ability to turn over the subjects of your messages.”
Under Trump’s previous term, the Department of Justice sought to clandestinely obtain “non-content” communications records, including phone and email records, of reporters at a variety of news outlets such as CNN and the New York Times. While the subject of an email is considered “content,” non-content records include metadata such as the date and time a message was sent, as well as the sender and recipient of an email.
We’re independent of corporate interests — and powered by members. Join us.
Become a member
Join Our Newsletter
Thank You For Joining!
Original reporting. Fearless journalism. Delivered to you.
Will you take the next step to support our independent journalism by becoming a member of The Intercept?
I'm in
Become a member
By signing up, I agree to receive emails from The Intercept and to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Join Our Newsletter
Original reporting. Fearless journalism. Delivered to you.
I'm in
The prior behavior of a Trump-led DOJ, coupled with the praise and efforts by tech CEOs to curry favor with the Trump camp, has raised the question of how amenable the industry will be to data requests from the incoming administration. It’s a particularly important question for the types of users who have flocked to Proton — the kind fearful of exposing sensitive sources or persecuted individuals to state surveillance. (The Intercept uses Proton Mail as its email provider.)
“Platforms inherently occupy a position of trust because we want them to have users’ backs when the government comes knocking for data,” said Andrew Crocker, the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s surveillance litigation director, which has published an annual “Who Has Your Back?” reports, which analyzed companies’ acquiescence to government requests for user data.
“It’s reasonable to worry that tech companies’ backbone for protecting users in this way might soften when they get too politically involved with any one administration,” Crocker said.
Share
Copy link
Share on Facebook
Share on Bluesky
Share on X
Share on LinkedIn
Share on WhatsApp
IT’S EVEN WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT.
What we’re seeing right now from Donald Trump is a full-on authoritarian takeover of the U.S. government.
This is not hyperbole.
Court orders are being ignored. MAGA loyalists have been put in charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies. The Department of Government Efficiency has stripped Congress of its power of the purse. News outlets that challenge Trump have been banished or put under investigation.
Yet far too many are still covering Trump’s assault on democracy like politics as usual, with flattering headlines describing Trump as “unconventional,” “testing the boundaries,” and “aggressively flexing power.”
The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. We understand the challenge we face in Trump and the vital importance of press freedom in defending democracy.
We’re independent of corporate interests. Will you help us?
$15
$25
$50
$100
$5
$8
$10
$15
One Time
Monthly
Donate
IT’S BEEN A DEVASTATING year for journalism — the worst in modern U.S. history.
We have a president with utter contempt for truth aggressively using the government’s full powers to dismantle the free press. Corporate news outlets have cowered, becoming accessories in Trump’s project to create a post-truth America. Right-wing billionaires have pounced, buying up media organizations and rebuilding the information environment to their liking.
In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back. But to do so effectively, we need to grow.
That’s where you come in. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
We’re independent of corporate interests. Will you help us?
$15
$25
$50
$100
$5
$8
$10
$15
One Time
Monthly
Donate
I’M BEN MUESSIG, The Intercept’s editor-in-chief. It’s been a devastating year for journalism — the worst in modern U.S. history.
We have a president with utter contempt for truth aggressively using the government’s full powers to dismantle the free press. Corporate news outlets have cowered, becoming accessories in Trump’s project to create a post-truth America. Right-wing billionaires have pounced, buying up media organizations and rebuilding the information environment to their liking.
In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back. But to do so effectively, we need to grow.
That’s where you come in. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026?
We’re independent of corporate interests. Will you help us?
$15
$25
$50
$100
$5
$8
$10
$15
One Time
Monthly
Donate
Contact the author:
Nikita Mazurov
Related
FBI’s Warrantless Search Ruled Unconstitutional in a Blow to Government Spying
Republicans Said the FTC Was Too Politicized. Now Trump’s FTC Pick Says It Should be Politicized — by Trump.
Trump’s Election Is Also a Win for Tech’s Right-Wing “Warrior Class”
Internet Archive Was Exposing User Email Addresses for Years Before Recent Breach
Latest Stories
Nach Abschiebung wegen Anti-Israel-Parole: Bob-Vylan-Frontmann wehrt sich erfolgreich gegen Einreiseverbot
Hanno Hauenstein
- Aug. 1
Deutsche Behörden warnten, die Einreise des pro-palästinensischen Musikers könne zur „Radikalisierung einzelner Bevölkerungsgruppen“ beitragen. Er legte Widerspruch ein.
Midterms 2026
Cori Bush Has No Regrets
Akela Lacy
- Aug. 1
Rep. Wesley Bell has AIPAC on his side, but the grassroots energy seems to be behind Bush.
Voices
Trump’s Truth Social API Is a Blatantly Corrupt Favor to Wall Street
Dylan Gyauch-Lewis
- Aug. 1
By selling off early access to his posts at a premium, the president is merging a public good with his own profit motives.
Join The Conversation"
- "Proton, the company behind the eponymous email provider Proton Mail, has won itself a loyal fanbase of dissidents, investigative journalists, and others skeptical of the prying eyes of government or Big Tech. Headquartered in Switzerland, the service describes itself as “a neutral and safe haven for your personal data, committed to defending your freedom.”