Proton is generally regarded as a secure email service and this might be true regarding encryption and data storage. But now Proton has collaborated with the FBI and handed over payment data to identify the owner of an email account.

And guess what … The owner of the account was not a paedophile or a terrorist, it was an activists connected to the protest movement „Stop Cop City“

Of course, Proton acted accordingly to Swiss law but considering that this not a single case and Proton is always promoting their location in Switzerland as trustworthy, I would recommend to use something else, probably not even email.

But if you’re using it, follow some basic rules:

1. No recovery data like email or phone numbers.

2. Use a VPN (keep in mind that the VPN provider knows who you are and that a VPN might not be as secure as you think)

3. Don’t use banking accounts for payment. If possible, use Monero or Cash.

4. Don’t use your secret email for anything else. The more often you use it, the more traces you leave.

5. Consider using a messenger for sensitive communication. My personal recommendation is Molly.

@Tutanota@mastodon.social How often per year do you get these requests from authorities and how often do you follow them?

https://www.heise.de/en/news/Proton-FBI-user-identification-shakes-Swiss-data-protection-11203086.html