Proton
privacy-rights-and-anti-terror-laws

Preserving privacy rights in anti-terror laws

Our mission is to promote security, privacy, and freedom on the Internet. That encompasses technical solutions, such as Proton Mail and Proton VPN(ventana nueva), but also policy solutions. The right to privacy and user control of personal data will never be safe unless they are also guaranteed by law. Addressing one without the other is a futile endeavor. Last month, we attended the 2018 Tech Against Terrorism(ventana nueva) conference in Berlin to help address the policy challenges of online counterterrorism efforts.

The Tech Against Terrorism project was launched in April 2017 by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate(ventana nueva). Its goal is to bring together tech companies of all sizes, academia, civil societies, and lawmakers to discuss the best ways to protect human rights while ridding the Internet of terrorist content. At the core of the Tech Against Terrorism initiative is the Tech Against Terrorism Pledge(ventana nueva), which is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Pledge is a simple guide that explains how tech companies, large and small, can respect fundamental human rights while tackling terrorist exploitation of the Internet.

Participants at the Dec. 4 conference in Berlin included representatives from some of the world’s largest tech platforms (Facebook, etc.), Europol, the CyberTerrorism Project, and researchers monitoring the German far-right. As the world’s largest encrypted email provider(ventana nueva) and a major participant in the global privacy debate, we were invited to the conference to share our views.

While a UN-sponsored conference may seem like a strange place for Proton Mail to appear, we decided to participate because, now more than ever, it is essential to highlight the privacy implications of potential legislation(ventana nueva). Our purpose for attending the conference was to raise our objection to another vaguely written, sweeping bill, this time from the EU. The bureaucratically named “A proposal for a Regulation on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online(ventana nueva)” will severely hamper freedom of speech on the Internet and give a competitive edge to large, monopolistic corporations like Google and Facebook. The regulation was so vague that it even seemed like it would ban end-to-end encrypted services, although the EU has since clarified that this will not be the case.

You cannot influence policy if you don’t have a seat at the table. While the discussions at the Tech Against Terrorism conference did not immediately break new ground, it was still essential for us to be present to advocate for privacy rights. We consider this to be a part of our mission that is just as essential as writing code.

As a privacy company, it is important for us to impact the public debate by educating politicians, policymakers, and private citizens about the importance of encryption(ventana nueva), the right to privacy(ventana nueva), and free speech on the Internet. There are numerous examples, from a former Australian Prime Minister struggling to accept the laws of mathematics(ventana nueva) to a US congressman not realizing that Google does not make iPhones(ventana nueva), that show that many policymakers simply do not understand basic information about the Internet. By providing our expertise, we hope to help create more informed and nuanced legislation.

Promoting responsible law enforcement

Proton Mail is not against law enforcement(ventana nueva). We have a zero-tolerance policy for criminal acts committed using Proton Mail. Democratic societies require security, both online and offline, and as citizens, we support the work law enforcement officers do to protect us.

We are, however, against the abuse of the law. Codifying poor practices into intrusive laws only reduces our collective security. All too often, lawmakers have made the mistake of thinking that privacy and security must be in opposition to one another. This fundamental misunderstanding has led to the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act(ventana nueva), Australia’s Assistance and Access Bill(ventana nueva), and the EU’s latest regulation proposal.

These bills are policy disasters that weaken and undermine encryption, making the entire Internet less secure(ventana nueva). Through our engagement with policymakers, we intend to prevent such abuses in the future.

Removing terrorist content from the Internet is a sensitive topic that will have far-reaching consequences on the freedom of speech and the right to privacy. It will require a concerted effort from lawmakers, non-governmental organizations, civil society actors, and other tech companies to ensure we, as a society, strike the right balance. In this context, we are happy that lawmakers are responding to our continued advocacy, and that we can help represent the interest of citizens worldwide who value free speech and privacy rights.

Whether it’s at the UN, at the ballot box(ventana nueva), or in the courtroom, we are committed to ensuring that the Internet remains secure, private, and free.

Best Regards,
The Proton Mail Team

Read this blog in French at FairSocialNet.ch (ventana nueva)

Sign up and get a free secure email account from Proton Mail.

We also provide a free VPN service(ventana nueva) to protect your privacy.

Proton Mail and Proton VPN are funded by community contributions. If you would like to support our development efforts, you can upgrade to a paid plan. Thank you for your support.

Artículos relacionados

A cover image for a blog describing the next six months of Proton Pass development which shows a laptop screen with a Gantt chart
en
  • Actualizaciones del producto
  • Proton Pass
Take a look at the upcoming features and improvements coming to Proton Pass over the next several months.
The Danish mermaid and the Dutch parliament building behind a politician and an unlocked phone
en
We searched the dark web for Danish, Dutch, and Luxembourgish politicians’ official email addresses. In Denmark, over 40% had been exposed.
Infostealers: What they are, how they work, and how to protect yourself
en
Discover insights about what infostealers are, where your stolen information goes, and ways to protect yourself.
Mockup of the Proton Pass app and text that reads "Pass Lifetime: Pay once, access forever"
en
Learn more about our exclusive Pass + SimpleLogin Lifetime offer. Pay once and enjoy premium password manager features for life.
A cover image for a blog announcing that Pass Plus will now include premium SimpleLogin features
en
We're changing the price of new Pass Plus subscriptions, which now includes access to SimpleLogin premium features.
Infinity symbol in purple with the words "Call for submissions" and "Proton Lifetime Fundraiser 7th Edition"
en
It’s time to choose the organizations we should support for the 2024 edition of our annual charity fundraiser.