According to Proton's AI answers:
Proton Mail is designed with a strong commitment to user privacy and security. Here’s what you need to know about the information Proton Mail can provide to law enforcement:
Encryption: Proton Mail uses end-to-end encryption, which means that the content of emails is encrypted on the user's device and can only be decrypted by the intended recipient. Proton Mail cannot read or access the content of your emails.
Metadata: Proton Mail can access certain metadata associated with user accounts, such as:
Account creation date
Last login time
IP addresses used to access the account
Email headers (sender, recipient, subject line, timestamps)
Legal Process: Proton Mail will only disclose user information to law enforcement if it receives a valid legal request, such as a court order or subpoena, that complies with Swiss law. Proton Mail is subject to Swiss privacy laws, which are among the strictest in the world.
No Backdoor Access: Proton Mail does not have backdoor access to user data. The company is committed to protecting user privacy and will resist unnecessary or overly broad requests for information.
Transparency Reports: Proton regularly publishes transparency reports detailing the number and nature of legal requests it receives. These reports provide insight into how Proton handles requests for user information.
In summary, while Proton Mail can provide certain metadata to law enforcement under valid legal requests, the content of encrypted emails remains private and inaccessible to Proton or any third parties.
Metadata in the context of Proton Mail refers to the additional information associated with your emails that is not part of the actual email content. While the content of your emails is end-to-end encrypted and only accessible to the sender and recipient, metadata can include the following details:
Account Information:
Account creation date
Account status (active, suspended, etc.)
Login Information:
Timestamps of when you last logged in
IP addresses used to access your account
Email Headers:
Sender's email address
Recipient's email address
Subject line of the email
Timestamps indicating when the email was sent, received, or read
Information about the email's path through servers (though Proton Mail minimizes this due to its encryption practices)
Message Status:
Whether an email has been sent, delivered, or read (if read receipts are enabled)
It's important to note that while metadata can provide some context about email activity, the actual content of the emails remains encrypted and private. Proton Mail is designed to minimize the amount of metadata collected and stored, and it will only disclose metadata to law enforcement if it receives a valid legal request that complies with Swiss law.
Yes, there have been instances where law enforcement agencies have made valid legal requests to Proton, and in some cases, these requests have led to investigations or arrests. However, Proton's transparency reports do not provide specific details about individual cases to protect user privacy and comply with legal confidentiality requirements.
Proton regularly publishes transparency reports that summarize the number and types of legal requests it receives, as well as how it responds to those requests. These reports provide insight into the nature of the requests and Proton's commitment to user privacy.
For example, Proton's transparency reports may indicate the number of requests received from law enforcement agencies, the types of information requested, and whether Proton provided any information in response. However, the reports do not name individuals or provide specifics about individual cases.
If you're interested in learning more about Proton's transparency reports, you can find them on Proton's official website. These reports demonstrate Proton's commitment to balancing user privacy with legal obligations.
Just found out they have a proprietary AI service...
