ProtonMail, a privacy and security-focused email provider based in Switzerland, has been strongly criticized for providing the IP address of a customer to Swiss authorities, ultimately leading to the arrest of a climate activist in France. But simply blaming ProtonMail misses the important lessons of this case.

Background

French authorities were aware that a group ‘of interest’ (the Youth for Climate collective and associated groups) used the jmm18[@]protonmail.com email address. According to police reports, the climate group had hardened its interests along general anti-capitalist lines, and were taking part in illegal squatting and damage to property.