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One thought on “Proton’s Privacy Stronghold in Switzerland Faces Threat from Surveillance Laws”
In the news: In September 2025, ProtonMail did suspend the email accounts of journalists investigating cybersecurity issues related to South Korea, specifically involving sensitive disclosures about government hacking threats. The suspensions, which began in mid-August 2025, included both a whistleblower and the journalist covering the story. Proton stated that the accounts were disabled due to alerts from a cybersecurity agency (CERT) about misuse of certain accounts violating Proton’s Terms of Service, though the company did not provide detailed explanations or a transparent process. This action sparked significant controversy and backlash from privacy advocates and journalist communities, questioning ProtonMail’s commitment to privacy and its “privacy-first” reputation. Proton later reinstated some accounts after public outcry, but it remains a striking example of the risks of centralized control over supposedly secure communication platforms[1][2][3][4].
In the news: In September 2025, ProtonMail did suspend the email accounts of journalists investigating cybersecurity issues related to South Korea, specifically involving sensitive disclosures about government hacking threats. The suspensions, which began in mid-August 2025, included both a whistleblower and the journalist covering the story. Proton stated that the accounts were disabled due to alerts from a cybersecurity agency (CERT) about misuse of certain accounts violating Proton’s Terms of Service, though the company did not provide detailed explanations or a transparent process. This action sparked significant controversy and backlash from privacy advocates and journalist communities, questioning ProtonMail’s commitment to privacy and its “privacy-first” reputation. Proton later reinstated some accounts after public outcry, but it remains a striking example of the risks of centralized control over supposedly secure communication platforms[1][2][3][4].
[1] https://blog.dmail.ai/protonmail-just-proved-why-decentralized-email-is-no-longer-optional/
[2] https://www.webpronews.com/proton-mail-suspends-journalists-accounts-in-north-korean-hacking-probe/
[3] https://www.pcmag.com/news/encrypted-messaging-service-proton-mail-disabled-two-journalists-accounts
[4] https://theintercept.com/2025/09/12/proton-mail-journalist-accounts-suspended/