Proton Mail has joined 23 other tech companies to endorse the Privacy for All Act of 2019(new window), which would give millions of people more control over their data.
We want everyone to have access to online privacy and security. It’s why we created Proton Mail and Proton VPN(new window). But technological tools alone can’t get us there. We need legal frameworks that protect end-to-end encryption(new window) and prioritize privacy as a fundamental human right.
In Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation(new window) (GDPR) is pushing back against surveillance-based business models and rampant personal data harvesting. By requiring encryption(new window) where feasible and forcing companies to legally justify data processing, the GDPR helps users take back control of the personal information they rightfully own.
But privacy isn’t just a European value. In the United States, where privacy protections fall woefully short(new window) of modern standards, the California Consumer Privacy Act serves as a testbed for national legislation. The CCPA isn’t as strong as the GDPR, but it’s much better than nothing.
Not every tech company agrees with us. While paying lip service to privacy, Google, Facebook, and Amazon have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for lobbyists to undermine privacy laws(new window). One of the firms they sponsor has proposed a weaker federal law(new window) that would erase California’s progress by preempting state-level privacy regulations.
While some companies are working against consumers, we have joined together with 23 other tech companies to support better privacy safeguards. On Tuesday, we sent a joint letter to the California State Assembly to support the Privacy for All Act of 2019. This amendment to the CCPA is intended to close loopholes and add protections missing from the original law. You can read more about what the Privacy for All Act does here(new window).
Mass surveillance is not a business model that is good for society. Proton Mail and the other signatories of this letter stand as proof that what’s good for privacy and what’s good for tech companies are not mutually exclusive. We strongly support Privacy for All as another step toward online privacy for all Americans.
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April 16, 2019
Dear Assemblymember Chau,
We are pleased to support A.B. 1760, sponsored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, as a vital addition to privacy protections in the state of California. We thank you for your commitment to the essential area of privacy, and your crucial role in the passage of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) last year.
We are a broad coalition of for-profit companies that share that privacy commitment and support the CCPA. All of us have California customers and we are currently subject to CCPA’s requirements or may be subject to them in the foreseeable future. As companies that put user privacy at the core of our products and services, we also support legislation that builds on CCPA’s foundation. Our relationship with our users is built on trust—trust that the data they provide to us and other companies will be used only in the ways they understand and expect.
A.B. 1760 holds all covered companies to that standard and makes sure that Californians’ information is protected by default. It will give all Californians the knowledge and power to truly control their personal information, as well as the ability to practically exercise and legally enforce their privacy rights, all without being punished with higher prices or degraded service.
We appreciate and support your committee’s important efforts to provide all Californians with the privacy rights they want and deserve. Thank you again for your leadership on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Duck Duck Go, Inc.
Gabriel Weinberg, Founder and CEO
Brave Software Inc.
(new window)Dr. Johnny Ryan, Chief Policy & Industry Relations Officer
Disconnect, Inc.
Casey Oppenheim, CEO
Vivaldi Technologies LLC
Tatsuki Tomita, Chief Operating Officer
Tresorit AG
Istvan Lam, Co-Founder & CEO
Lavabit LLC
Richard Delgado, COO
Fastmail Pty Ltd
Bron Gondwana, CEO
Fastmail US LLC
Helen Horstmann-Allen, COO
Ecosia GmbH
Christian Kroll, CEO & Founder
Mycroft AI Inc.
Eric Jurgeson, Vice-President
Purism, SPC
Todd Weaver, CEO
Discourse, aka Civilized Discourse Construction Kit, Inc.
Jeff Atwood, CEO
Shiny Frog Limited, aka Bear
Matteo Rattotti, Founder
Sgrouples, Inc. dba “MeWe”
Mark Weinstein, Founder & CEO
Nextcloud GmbH
Frank Karlitschek, CEO
Whaller SAS
Thomas Fauré, CEO
Virtru Corp.
Andrea Little Limbago, PhD
Chief Social Scientist
Tutao GmbH, aka Tutanota
Matthias Pfau, Co-Founder
Snips SAS
Dr. Rand Hindi, PhD
Co-Founder & CEO
Bit Chute Limited
Ray Vahey, Founder & CEO
Mailr Tech LLP, aka Canary Mail
Sohel Sanghani, CEO
Conva Ventures Inc., aka Fathom Analytics
Jack Ellis & Paul Jarvis, Directors
Cliqz GmbH, aka Ghostery
Jeremy Tillman, President
You can get a free secure email account from Proton Mail here(new window).
We also provide a free VPN service(new window) 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.
