Proton
Empowering you to choose a better internet where privacy is the default. Protect yourself online with Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive. Proton Pass and SimpleLogin.
Proton Mail is the world's largest secure email provider. Swiss, end-to-end encrypted, private, and free.
Proton VPN is the world’s only open-source, publicly audited, unlimited and free VPN. Swiss-based, no-ads, and no-logs.
Proton Calendar is the world's first end-to-end encrypted calendar that allows you to keep your life private.
Proton Drive is a free end-to-end encrypted cloud storage that allows you to securely backup and share your files. It's open source, publicly audited, and Swiss-based.
Proton Pass Proton Pass is a free and open-source password manager which brings a higher level of security with rigorous end-to-end encryption of all data (including usernames, URLs, notes, and more) and email alias support.
SimpleLogin lets you send and receive emails anonymously via easily-generated unique email aliases.
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He keeps saying some sketchy MAGA shit and keeps taking every opportunity he can to advocate for moving out of Switzerland, instead of working to keep Switzerland's laws privacy-focused.
Keeps saying? Any source or link? Are you aware of anything else besides that tweet?
He is not advocating to move out. He is clearly saying that he would be forced to IF the law passes because the whole reasons to advocate for being in Switzerland would be no more. Which brings us to the next point...
How can you not see his statements as a way (The Way for him) to apply pressure on the government, which is exactly what he should be doing to "keep Switzerland's laws privacy-focused"?
How else would you imagine he would "work" to keep laws privacy-focused? He is not in parliament, so bringing media attention and threatening to move a relatively big company seems the best way to me. What would be your idea?
The "keeps saying" thing is based off a number of reddit posts and blue sky (iirc, dont think it was fediverse) posts where he kept continuously doubling down the whole MAGA thing. It's why it blew up so much. I believe most of those tweets and posts were deleted, but there's definitely websites that allow you to view a user's deleted posts from reddit- not sure if blue sky has similar. I'm not actually on my computer ATM, just my phone, so I can't look them up ATM, but if for some reason you're curious enough, that's where they are. Once I'm back at my computer, i'll post them if I remember this convo exists.
As for the advocating moving out, it seems like every time something comes up with Switzerland, he says "if this happens, we're moving out, that will fix it." To me, so consistently hammering that point, instead of anything else, it's fairly indicative of him wanting proton out of Switzerland.
Which brings us to the third point- why always hammer that point, instead of literally anything else? Well, perhaps he just doesn't like Switzerland, maybe he doesn't trust it, maybe he thinks that setting up educational programs about privacy and security so the Swiss push their politicians towards it are a waste of time, or any number of alternatives instead of just uprooting and moving, I don't know... But given the track record of enshittificiation and the MAGA sentiments he's espoused as a CEO, well... When someone tells you who they are, listen to them the first time, imo. I no longer trust him to be a good steward of anyone's privacy.
I always find it kind of suspect too that it's never "if this happens, we would move to XYZ, where your data will be protected" but just "if there is any slight change to privacy laws, we leave Switzerland entirely. No, don't worry about where to."
Maybe I'm just twice shy, but ... I no longer trust rich CEOs supporting MAGA when they say "trust us with your data!"
So, to be clear the "MAGA" stuff is all in the context of that tweet. I put it in quotes because it was not MAGA, but that's another topic.
If he wanted to move out of Switzerland, why is he not doing that? It seems quite clear to me that he provides clear and obvious motivations why he would move away from Switzerland if this or that law passes. If the swiss law doesn't protect privacy anymore, I expect them to move, if anything.
Have you seen to whom they donate the money for their annual charity fundraiser?
Anyway, educating the population is a decennial investment. How does it help when the Parliament discusses a law today?
Like what? And most importantly, why? Switzerland is often chosen by privacy companies because it has privacy-friendly laws. If these laws go away or change, why would I care for them to remain in Switzerland?
Their is no such track record. Enshittifying is a term invented to describe companies degrading the services for their users in pursuit of bigger profits.
This means having made an enormous amount of due diligence which is realistic only if you actually want to move there.
Good call. But proton organizational structure is completely different, and so are their business model and target clientele, compared to other tech companies. I trust business interests more than anything else, because this is why companies do what they do.
P.s. His opinion is rightfully shared by other companies in the privacy space. I legitimately can't find one single wrong thing in his position on this matter.
Ah, the age old, vibe based “trust me, bro”.