dslreports logo
 story category
Encrypted E-mail Sign Ups Double After Election

Swiss encrypted mail company ProtonMail this week issued a report claiming that sign ups for encrypted mail services have doubled immediately following the recent Presidential election. This surge is driven, the company argues, by the belated realization by many on the left that unchecked surveillance authority is something that all sides need to be concerned with. The firm is quick to note that the expansion of the NSA's surveillance authority has been expanded by both parties, but the idea of this technology in Trump's hands is giving many pause.

Click for full size
"Given Trump's campaign rhetoric against journalists, political enemies, immigrants, and Muslims, there is concern that Trump could use the new tools at his disposal to target certain groups," the group states. "As the NSA currently operates completely out of the public eye with very little legal oversight, all of this could be done in secret."

That said, the firm is quick to point out that this doesn't mean it's taking side in the post-election fracas.

"It is important to note that as a Swiss company which benefits from Swiss government support, ProtonMail follows the Swiss policy of neutrality," states the company. "We do not take any position for or against Trump, nor any position for or against any particular country or government. We believe privacy is an universal value, so we do not take any sides."

Protonmail's Andy Yen then proceeds to point out that Trump will have more power than ever to expand the government's surveillance authority if that winds up being the direction the President-elect takes.

"With Republican control over both houses of Congress, President Trump would have broad power to rewrite FISA as he sees fit or introduce a new law," notes the company. "Of course, a new law could be subject to court challenge which could eventually work its way up to the US Supreme court, but Trump is also expected to gain control over the Supreme court."

The company concludes that "there is no denying that President Trump would have broad powers to re-shape the US surveillance apparatus to serve his agenda," and that "privacy isn’t just a liberal or conservative issue," but something that "we all need to champion, regardless of our political leanings."

Most recommended from 23 comments



kdwycha
join:2003-01-30
Ruskin, FL

7 recommendations

kdwycha

Member

Gee

Bet 4000 of those sign-ups were Trump's cabinet including Mike Pence whom is suddenly a proponent of email privacy.

Snakeoil
Ignore Button. The coward's feature.
Premium Member
join:2000-08-05
united state

4 recommendations

Snakeoil

Premium Member

You'd think it would have happened before

Back when it was revealed that the NSA was capturing emails and such.