this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2025
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Privacy

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In an unexpected mask off "secure" email and VPN provider Proton took the stance of siding with the fascist MAGA Reps. Proton's services are no option for me and many others any longer. Let's collect and discuss alternatives (E2E encrypted email and VPN) here πŸ”πŸ‘‡

Always try to provide:

-Server location (jurisdiction)

-Governance

-Integrity/trustworthiness/transparency

-User experience/ease of use (grade 1 to 10, lets take Proton as a benchmark with an 8)

-Pricing and links

If you know alternative setups, feel free to share, too.

#ProtonExodus

Background: https://lemmy.ca/comment/13913116

Edit:typo

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[–] hddsx@lemmy.ca 25 points 23 hours ago (6 children)

I don’t use proton, but I would be grateful if you could share a link on how Proton sided with fascists.

Also, I use Mullvad for VPN and I host my own email

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[–] Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.ca 25 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Uggghhh I just upped for two years. Fucking asshats are all caving to the orange fuckhead. Probably off to Europe somewhere.

[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Ask them for a cancellation and refund. Don't explain the reason, just say you changed your mind, make up some excuse if they ask.

[–] DeeBeeDouble@lemmy.ml 15 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

Why wouldn't you tell them the reason?

[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Get the money back first, then say the reason. Don't wanna bring up politics in case they wanna be a douche and deny refund.

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[–] schnapspraline@lemmy.world 18 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (8 children)

My personal recommendations:

https://uberspace.de

  • Server location (jurisdiction): Germany
  • Integrity/trustworthiness/transparency: About-Page
  • User experience/ease of use (grade 1 to 10, lets take Proton as a benchmark with an 8): 6
  • Pricing: Based on solidarity, but recommend minimum is 5 € per month

https://www.hostsharing.net

  • Server location (jurisdiction): Germany
  • Integrity/trustworthiness/transparency: well, you own part of hostsharing if you use it (collective-ownership)
  • User experience/ease of use (grade 1 to 10, lets take Proton as a benchmark with an 8): 6
  • Pricing: 64 € onetime payment + 10 € per month (cooperative)

Other recommendations:

  • mailbox.org, systemli.org, riseup.net, posteo.de (as far as I know all of them are located in Germany)
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[–] zdhzm2pgp@lemmy.ml 20 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

AFAICT, it looks like all he's doing is praising Trump's pick for AG in the Antitrust division . . . although if you look over her Wikipedia page, you're right, it doesn't look all that encouraging.

Can someone on Mastodon ask the Proton CEO what it was exactly that she did that he likes so much? Anyone who can work at Fox for any length of time, frankly, is complete and utter shite.

EDIT: Also, just as a broken clock can be right twice a day, President πŸ„ sank the Trans Pacific Partnership, which was the right thing to do, but for the wrong reason: mainly to get back at Obama for existing. So in the same way, I suppose it's possible that Slater did something good, but I'd sure like to know what it was.

[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 12 points 21 hours ago (8 children)

Before you decide to go back to Google or close your account, keep in mind that Proton became a non profit organization with the main mission of protecting your privacy. And as a non profit, they're not trying to profit off of you in any way.

Going back to Google is the worst solution you can use. Remember that Google donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund. Google also doesn't care about your privacy. On the contrary, they're selling your data and using it against you.

While the Proton CEO may be a nut case, he's only praising the choice that Trump made as the candidate for the antitrust department. While that's understandably stupid since I don't believe Trump is going up stick up for the little guy now that he's got Musk and Zuck in his pocket, at least he didn't actively donated and enabled Trump either personally or through his platform and spread misinformation.

Think about it.

At least with proton, the fact that you're different, that you're 2SLGBTQ+, is safe. Or at least substantially safer than Google.

[–] lukecooperatus@lemmy.ml 15 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

Why are there so many responses like this, saying not to go back to Google? The OP didn't even mention Google as an option they were considering. I've seen zero discussion in any of the other posts around the fediverse where people have expressed any desire to use Google because of this. Why would anyone think that users who had already moved to Proton would find Google acceptable as an alternative right now?

This just feels like you're trying to discourage actual conversation about alternatives by acting like the only options are Proton or Google, so we all ought to shut up and sit down.

Also, if you think merely becoming a non-profit means a corporation can never exploit people and isn't interested in making money off of it's customers, then I've got a bridge to sell you.

[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 9 points 20 hours ago

Because I looked at the discussion threads for this post and I saw a few early comments where people mentioned they would go back or stick with Google.

I'm not trying to shut down or discourage any discussion. Just pointing out to the people who said they'd go back that it's not the best solution.

[–] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 10 points 21 hours ago

Yes, proton is about ten thousand times better than google, even with this board member's stupid fully factored in.

[–] whydudothatdrcrane@lemmy.ml 6 points 21 hours ago (3 children)

Safer.

Well, they handed out activists' metadata in the past, for the French authorities. In their position of an e2ee provider who controls both ends as a default, they are in a position where the can fuck people over. This is exactly what Snowden described as someone pointing a gun at you while saying "Relax, I am not gonna use it against you."

So much for safety.

Ah, and my original point was: it is either safe or unsafe, the word saf_er_ means nothing during a genocide.

[–] zdhzm2pgp@lemmy.ml 5 points 19 hours ago

IIRC, this was because the user in question had set a recovery email for their account, which Proton either volunteered or was forced to give to the authorities. Definitely crappy behavior on Proton's part. Don't set a recovery email!

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[–] lazzerot@startrek.website 8 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (2 children)

Protonmail has been my main email provider for the past 7 years, and unless its CEO decides to sell it to Trump or Musk I honestly don't see how his stupid private or not so private opinions are worth the hassle of changing my email for the million things I use my main and all the other emails I registered with Protonmail.
Most rich people have very dubious or outright awful political opinions and unless you're rich enough to have someone build you an alternative or deconnected enough from society/only exist in programmer circles and are able to live entirely on FOSS software I don't see why the average user should care about the CEO's political stance. Maybe that's my ignorant opinion as a European, but would you stop using Linux if you found out Linus Torvalds secretly loves Windows? Probably not.

[–] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world 8 points 20 hours ago (6 children)

Your analogy/ example is fucked up and beyond stupid. Protonmail is hosted by the organization. Linus has no access to the Linux systems in the world. Also, thousands have contributed to the Linux ecosystem.

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Service =/= Software

Proton could (theoretically) hold your data hostage. Linus Torvalds could not just update linux to inject a maga banner in your desktop, or turn your os into ransomware. Even if your distro maintainer wanted to do that, you still have the final say on whether or not to update (and if you keep up with the news, you can just avoid the update and wait for someone to fork it).

[–] Horsey@lemmy.world 6 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

In all seriousness, I genuinely feel like the demographics of those making over 250K/year outside of Silicon Valley (proton is from Switzerland which is a center-right country), and outside of the arts industries, is probably bare minimum of lib-center, and probably most likely to be at least fiscally conservative, if not socially as well. Those kind of people are more concerned with maintaining their financial position than the issues plaguing the income classes that the individual has graduated out of.

I don’t think you’re going to find many CEOs that aren’t at least a little right of center or self serving in their business interests.

Getting to the top 1% income bracket is a lot easier than maintaining that financial position.

[–] TommySoda@lemmy.world 11 points 22 hours ago

God damnit I literally just got Proton going like 4 days ago.

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 10 points 23 hours ago (3 children)

Uhg. How much longer until it's more viable to self host...

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[–] zdhzm2pgp@lemmy.ml 10 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (2 children)

You could look at infomaniak, but I didn't have the best experience trying out (or even getting started with) their services. Finding a provider that has all of Proton's apps is going to be tough (or at least it was from me while I was looking to escape from Tuta). Good luck, tho.

EDIT: Infomaniak is on F-Droid!

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 14 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

Finding a provider that has all of Proton's apps is going to be toug

Nobody should be using any provider as one stop shop... That's how we got cooked by Google and Apple the first time folks.

Unbundle, mix and match...

Yeah it auck Proton did this but if you only got one proton service, it is eaiser to either do nothing or switch it.

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[–] zqps@sh.itjust.works 4 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

Escape from Tuta for what reason if you're willing to share? I see it recommended a lot.

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[–] Kyrgizion@lemmy.world 8 points 23 hours ago

I was mulling moving everything from Google to Proton. Guess I'll keep my money for now.

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