Since the Tor network itself hides users' network origin prior to packets ever reaching ProtonMail, even a valid subpoena can't get that information out of ProtonMail-because the company never receives the data in the first place.

Using Tor to access ProtonMail may accomplish what ProtonMail itself legally cannot: the obfuscation of its users' IP addresses. The new 'your data, your rules' section on ProtonMail's front page directly links to a landing page aggregating information about using Tor to access ProtonMail. In addition to removing the misleading (if technically correct) reference to its 'default' logging policy, ProtonMail pledged to emphasize the use of the Tor network to activists. ProtonMail does not believe the tools were appropriate for the case at hand, but the company was legally responsible to comply with their use nonetheless.

The service could not appeal because a Swiss law had actually been broken and because 'legal tools for serious crimes' were used. That account was operated by the Parisian chapter of Youth for Climate, which Wikipedia describes as a Greta Thunberg-inspired movement focused on school students who skip Friday classes in order to attend protests.Īccording to multiple statements ProtonMail issued on Monday, the company could not appeal the Swiss demand for IP logging on that account.

As usual, the devil is in the details-ProtonMail's original policy simply said that the service does not keep IP logs 'by default.' However, as a Swiss company itself, ProtonMail was obliged to comply with a Swiss court's injunction demanding that it begin logging IP address and browser fingerprint information for a particular ProtonMail account.

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