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submitted 2 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Summary

Proton Mail, known for its privacy-first email services, faced backlash after CEO Andy Yen praised the Republican Party and its antitrust stance.

The company initially posted and deleted a statement supporting Yen’s comments, later claiming an “internal miscommunication” and reiterating its political neutrality.

Critics question Proton’s impartiality, particularly as it cooperates with Swiss authorities on legal data requests.

Privacy advocates warn that political alignments could undermine trust, especially for Proton’s users—journalists and activists wary of government surveillance under administrations like Trump’s.

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[-] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Wow. There's a whole lot of people here reacting to the headline, and not actually reading the story. That's important, because the journalist's headline is (shocker) a huge overstatement.

I was concerned as I'm a Proton user and have been for years, and hard left politically, and despise Trump. But maybe lets just read it before reacting?

Here's what the CEO posted on Xitter:

10 years ago, Republicans were the party of big business and Dems stood for the little guys, but today the tables have completely turned.

Yep. That's a bad look. Doesn't make a lot of sense either because the Republicans are very much the party of big business and corporate handouts and deregulation in oil, gas, energy, mining, manufacture, industrial farming etc.

Then here's what Proton's team said on Reddit as an explanation and expansion of the CEO's post (and then later deleted):

Here is our official response, also available on the Mastodon post in the screenshot:

Corporate capture of Dems is real. In 2022, we campaigned extensively in the US for anti-trust legislation.

Two bills were ready, with bipartisan support. Chuck Schumer (who coincidentally has two daughters working as big tech lobbyists) refused to bring the bills for a vote.

At a 2024 event covering antitrust remedies, out of all the invited senators, just a single one showed up - JD Vance.

By working on the front lines of many policy issues, we have seen the shift between Dems and Republicans over the past decade first hand.

Dems had a choice between the progressive wing (Bernie Sanders, etc), versus corporate Dems, but in the end money won and constituents lost.

Until corporate Dems are thrown out, the reality is that Republicans remain more likely to tackle Big Tech abuses.

First off, I feel like I've read from hundreds of Lemmy users total agreement that the Democratic party is captured by corporate interests, so I really doubt any disagreement with that section of Proton's post. My reaction to the remainder is that it's not at all praise for the Republican party, just the factual statement of the sad reality that Republicans with their very hard-on-Silicon-Valley rhetoric are more likely to actually reign in the big tech companies than the Democratic party - and Proton is in a good position to have seen this first hand. Zero of the statement praises Trump or praises Republicans, and there is in fact lament that the Democrats didn't stick harder with their left-wing candidates, even highlighting Bernie. I can see why they deleted it though, it's office chatter than never should have left the cubicle.

TL;DR: storm in a teacup, I'll be keeping my Proton mail account.

p.s. yes this is my first Lemmy post. I'm a longtime lurker though. I felt strongly enough about this to make an account to post, as nobody seemed to be actually posting the content of the article - just reacting. Edit: typos & formatting of the quote.

[-] rumba@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 months ago

Then here’s what Proton’s team said on Reddit

are you REALLY asking us to care about their PR damage control? They can literally cherry pick anything and say anything that's true and try to tie it back into their argument. What stands is his initial heartfelt public statement.

Zero of the statement praises Trump or praises Republicans

Great pick by 
@realDonaldTrump
. 10 years ago, Republicans were the party of big business and Dems stood for the little guys, but today the tables have completely turned. People forget that the current antitrust actions against Big Tech were started under the first Trump admin.

On Twitter (your know, the fascist communication network)

Tagging Trump directly (ohh look at me, I'm a good boy, give me contracts, invite me over)

your definition of Zero and mine are WILDLY different.

I feel like I’ve read from hundreds of Lemmy users total agreement that the Democratic party

Yes, the standard far right argument, no no they're both bad so this isn't bad.

of the sad reality that Republicans with their very hard-on-Silicon-Valley rhetoric are more likely to actually

There it is, you're not even going to sugar coat it, No no, the Republicans WHO ARE DISMANTLING DEI AND MEDIA FACT CHECKING

are going to

ctually reign in the big tech companies (more )than the Democratic party

GTFO, or at least come up with a half reasonable argument. That's serious not even worth the time to post on..

TL;DR: storm in a teacup, I’ll be keeping my Proton mail account.

If you're for real, (and I expect you're just more damage control), sounds like you're in a good place with like minded friends not worried at all about their safety.

p.s. yes this is my first Lemmy post.

Ahh so more damage control. Gotcha!

Their PR Department can do better

[-] sudneo@lemm.ee -1 points 2 months ago

"Tagging Trump" because it was an answer (quote? Not sure what is the xitter term) to the tweer where Trump announced the pick for antitrust.

I do disagree with the person you are answering to, he did praise republicans. He did in a very narrow context and for specific (although opinable) reasons and he praised Trump for having made that specific pick.

Personally, I don't see what the big deal is.

[-] Snapz@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Due respect, your take is obtuse at best or you're a shill. The company, with current leadership in place, just cannot come back from the first statement, it illustrates a fundamental detachment from objective reality, to the point that you've lost any and all credibility, permanently.

In a business based on trust, this is just so clear. Poop

[-] Croquette@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

If by reigning in big tech you mean a cartel style system where companies need to provide funds to Trump to continue existing, sure. But there is no chance that the Republicans will reign in big tech : they are big tech.

You are leaving out the part where Andy Yen said that the tables have turned and the Republicans are now the party of the small people.

Andy Yen's statement is downright pathetic and misleading. People are right to stir up shit because that's the only thing corpos understand.

This isn't a storm in a tea cup, this is the CEO of a company telling us who he really is and people choosing to tell him to get fucked.

Your post reeks of astroturfing.

[-] sudneo@lemm.ee -1 points 2 months ago

the Republicans are now the party of the small people

He didn't. He clearly meant small tech in that context, opposed to big tech\monopolies. Not only this is the only interpretation that makes sense, but he said this himself in a clarifying (personal) reddit comment.

[-] Croquette@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Stop bootlicking

From Andy Yen directly:

"[...]10 years ago, Republicans were the party of big business and Dems stood for the little guys, but today, the tables have completely turned."

There is no place for interpretation here, the message is clear. If he wants to back pedal because he got slinged shit, so be it, but it doesn't detract from the fact that he said that the Republicans are now the party of the small guys.

Stop spreading misinformation

[-] sudneo@lemm.ee -1 points 2 months ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/1i2nz9v/on_politics_and_proton_a_message_from_andy/m7hfhdh/

I will quote his own words:

Unfortunately that was misinterpreted. If you go back to the original tweet in question, it is clear from the context that that is about "little tech" vs "big tech

I know we are in the internet in 2025, and nobody has the right to clarify their opinion anymore, one strike and you are out, but still.

To me it was obvious from the context to be honest, without even needing his own explanation (that you call backpedaling because good faith is never assumed). But then again, I was not looking for reasons to be outraged.

It's hilarious though that reporting the authors own thoughts you call misinformation. Instead drawing your own conclusions that are explicitly denied by that person is supposedly objective. If there are no more rules of logic then everything goes.

Also this is not bootlicking, it's just a timid defense of rationality in the face of people building castles in the air.

[-] Croquette@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Yeah because cozying up buddy buddy with Trump is a castle in the air.

It's not like the guy was cooked on the spot and spouted an incohenrent sentence.

The guy took the time to tag Donald Trump to show him how he's not like the other girls , wrote out his message and thought that this was good enough to press send.

There is a lot of deliberate actions that leads to this and takebacksies are a lot more difficult to justify.

In that case, there is a little space for interpretation and Andy Yen is clearly in damage control.

It is not little joe from Arkansas owning a potato farm tweeting that shit, it's the CEO of a supposedly "neutral" company, that deals in privacy, tagging his buddy Trump. Shit like that can't get a pass.

Lucky for him, there are enlightened people like you that loves the smell of fresh polish directly from the boot.

this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2025
266 points (95.9% liked)

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