50 votes

Proton Mail helped US FBI unmask anonymous ‘Stop Cop City’ protester

16 comments

  1. [3]
    JXM
    Link
    They were given a legal court order for the data from the Swiss authorities, where they are based. What else would they do? It suck’s that this is the world we live in but if this person wanted to...
    • Exemplary

    They were given a legal court order for the data from the Swiss authorities, where they are based. What else would they do?

    It suck’s that this is the world we live in but if this person wanted to remain truly anonymous, they should have paid with cash (which Proton accepts).

    53 votes
    1. [2]
      raze2012
      Link Parent
      The court order was the real baffling issue here. The link of "this email is probably linked to the one protestor who vandalized the training center" is spurious.

      The court order was the real baffling issue here. The link of "this email is probably linked to the one protestor who vandalized the training center" is spurious.

      6 votes
      1. JXM
        Link Parent
        Yeah. And mobilizing an international police force because of some graffiti is a crazy overreaction. The police are losing their mind over this Cop City thing.

        Yeah. And mobilizing an international police force because of some graffiti is a crazy overreaction. The police are losing their mind over this Cop City thing.

        8 votes
  2. [8]
    donn
    Link
    Payments are kind of the weak link in any privacy-focused operation I've seen. Like whatever precautions you take; no logging, E2EE, etc your users will eventually need to pay money, and that will...

    Payments are kind of the weak link in any privacy-focused operation I've seen. Like whatever precautions you take; no logging, E2EE, etc your users will eventually need to pay money, and that will typically be done through the most auditable system in existence.

    29 votes
    1. [7]
      teaearlgraycold
      Link Parent
      Mullvad accepts envelopes of cash with just your account number on them.

      Mullvad accepts envelopes of cash with just your account number on them.

      20 votes
      1. Deely
        Link Parent
        Protonmail accepts cach too.

        Protonmail accepts cach too.

        We accept cash payments in US dollars (USD), euros (EUR), or Swiss francs (CHF).

        Send your payment to:
        Proton AG
        Route de la Galaise 32
        1228 Plan-les-Ouates
        Geneva
        Switzerland

        You must include your Proton Mail username.

        17 votes
      2. [5]
        artvandelay
        Link Parent
        Wouldn't a government authority still be able to at least track the actual bill back to your general area through their serial numbers? It obviously doesn't go straight back to you but it's something

        Wouldn't a government authority still be able to at least track the actual bill back to your general area through their serial numbers? It obviously doesn't go straight back to you but it's something

        6 votes
        1. [3]
          teaearlgraycold
          Link Parent
          You can use bitcoin as well. But I really doubt bill serials would do much.

          You can use bitcoin as well. But I really doubt bill serials would do much.

          13 votes
          1. BuckWylde
            Link Parent
            Maybe they should accept Target gift cards as payment.

            Maybe they should accept Target gift cards as payment.

            5 votes
          2. kingofsnake
            Link Parent
            I worked at the branch level at a bank a while back and the bill serials were basically folly unless somebody's spending them all at one time or in nearby one another. Maybe things have changed,...

            I worked at the branch level at a bank a while back and the bill serials were basically folly unless somebody's spending them all at one time or in nearby one another. Maybe things have changed, but the rate at which bills are scanned for their serials is likely too low to make tracing effective.

            At the bank, it was those exploding dye packs that really nailed the perps ;).

            4 votes
        2. CannibalisticApple
          Link Parent
          I have no clue how much they track about where each batch of bills go, but bills can travel all over the country thanks to people taking them on trips. If they get cash via cashback at stores, it...

          I have no clue how much they track about where each batch of bills go, but bills can travel all over the country thanks to people taking them on trips. If they get cash via cashback at stores, it could originate from quite literally anywhere. And extra paranoid people can always make a point to only pick up cash from ATMs far away from their home. I mainly hear about serial numbers being useful in identifying bills from bank heists or other high-stakes crimes like the D.B. Cooper plane hijacking, since they'd KNOW the most recent step of the bill's history was the theft.

          11 votes
  3. [5]
    RheingoldRiver
    Link
    https://archive.is/cGvKG
    4 votes
    1. [4]
      Hollow
      Link Parent
      To my knowledge, most post carriers don't take cash. Both for anti-money laundering purposes, and because of the envelopes mysteriously going missing on the way.

      To my knowledge, most post carriers don't take cash. Both for anti-money laundering purposes, and because of the envelopes mysteriously going missing on the way.

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        ahatlikethat
        Link Parent
        I've received and sent birthday cards with cash. I think the only thing is you can't make a claim if it is lost. Maybe large amounts of cash are different, but a Proton subscription is around...

        I've received and sent birthday cards with cash. I think the only thing is you can't make a claim if it is lost. Maybe large amounts of cash are different, but a Proton subscription is around 50-100 usd, so not a fat envelope of cash.

        7 votes
        1. MimicSquid
          Link Parent
          And it's definitely a crime of opportunity; a situation where the cash can be seen or guessed at from the outside makes it easy for someone to pocket it. In a stiffer envelope that doesn't give...

          And it's definitely a crime of opportunity; a situation where the cash can be seen or guessed at from the outside makes it easy for someone to pocket it. In a stiffer envelope that doesn't give away its contents? No one would think twice.

          2 votes
      2. CannibalisticApple
        Link Parent
        I think mail carriers will generally take any envelopes in a mailbox without closely checking it. I once mailed $40 cash to a hobbyist doll maker who didn't have digital payment options. Just put...

        I think mail carriers will generally take any envelopes in a mailbox without closely checking it. I once mailed $40 cash to a hobbyist doll maker who didn't have digital payment options. Just put it in an envelope with their address in our mailbox. We may have used a stiff envelope or had a letter wrapped around it so it wasn't obviously just cash (this was ten years ago, so can't remember if we did anything special), but in any event, there were no problems.

        3 votes