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Is WhatsApp safe? Not according to its ex-security chief | Proton (proton.me)

submitted 1 week ago by Blaze@piefed.zip to c/privacy@programming.dev

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[–] monogram@feddit.nl 13 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Is proton safe?

https://www.pcmag.com/news/encrypted-messaging-service-proton-mail-disabled-two-journalists-accounts

[–] popcar2@programming.dev 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Proton’s official account said the company was “alerted by a CERT that certain accounts were being misused by hackers in violation of Proton’s Terms of Service,”

Proton’s CEO later announced that the accounts were reinstated, following another post by the company that said the company does “stand with journalists,” but that it “cannot see the content of accounts and therefore cannot always know when anti-abuse measures may inadvertently affect legitimate activism.”

Sounds reasonable to me? It's not a good look but it sounds like they quickly re-instated the closed accounts. The article title is misleading.

[–] Forbo@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 week ago

The only reason they reinstated the accounts was because people blew them up on social media. If the appeals process failed them, it will definitely fail the average joe who doesn't have the same level of influence online.

I've been a paying Proton user for years, and had already been looking for the exit, but this is the straw the broke the camel's back. Using Nym for my VPN now, looking to migrate my other services soon.

[–] DahGangalang@infosec.pub 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Both being unsafe seems the most probably state of things.

Still, something unsafe can still be safer than every other option ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] monogram@feddit.nl -4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Why choose if there are other solutions ~~(like tuta)~~ that use open standards

[–] loudwhisper@infosec.pub 4 points 1 week ago

What open standard (that are not used by proton too)? If anything proton uses GPG while tuta uses a custom system (which is why they also encrypt the subject).

[–] Jason2357@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago

Proton does PGP for you. There are countless standards compliant mail services where you could use your own email client and do your own PGP -Thunderbird is probably the easiest but It’s a trade-off.

[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Tuta also locks you down with their lack of IMAP support. You can only use their client. At least Proton has a bridge and allows you to use your own GPG key.

Anti Commercial-AI license

[–] monogram@feddit.nl 1 points 1 week ago

I thought proton was the only one with a lack of imap, thanks for the info

[–] BananaTrifleViolin@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That doesn't make WhatsApp safe. Proton having it's own issues does not invalidate what they're sharing about WhatsApp concerns.

[–] monogram@feddit.nl 1 points 1 week ago

I agree, they’re both questionable, the absurd thing is that nobody is talking about the safer alternatives

[–] Fontasia@feddit.nl 2 points 1 week ago

This does feel like a random lash out after this story, the reports of the CEO earlier this year and the reports that they were going to move out of Switzerland.

Let's just randomly punch down at something the vast majority of our users wouldn't trust already?

I'd understand writing something like this if they were about to launch their own messenger product. But even then, this article doesn't offer anything new.

[–] 6nk06@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago

Even their CEO did not practice safe sex when he sucked the dick of Trump without a condom.