#Proton #ProtonMail #Privacy #AI #WorkplaceAbuse As I am sure many have already seen, this [404 Media article](https://www.404media.co/manifestos-fear-and-loser-thinking-inside-protons-ai-reckoning/) caused [quite](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/1xilgwk/manifestos_fear_and_loser_thinking_inside_protons/) [a stir](https://mastodon.online/tags/proton) a few days ago. Even putting aside the ethics of focusing on AI use over security and pentesting (which is already a *horrendous* idea for a supposedly security-focused company), the verbal abuse allegations alone should be a turn-off for anyone who cares about even a *neutral* workplace (let alone a *good* workplace). Having a CEO who berates employees asking for more security testing should be a red line for anyone who cares about the privacy and security of their data. And, with Proton, that is likely *most* of their customer base (we moved away from Google largely for privacy reasons, after all). Then we have reactions like [this one](https://widdershins.verja.net/nobody-cares-that-youre-leaving-proton/), which brings up the point that leaving may not accomplish anything (other companies will also disappoint you, you have to look for alternatives, and generally life gets more complicated). I think what this misses is that most people (and companies) who moved to Proton *already* went through this process once already, and we're willing to move again. Most of us are here because Proton promised “people over profit” ([their words](https://proton.me/foundation)) and “privacy by default” (again, [their words](https://proton.me)). Having a CEO who verbally abuses employees asking for more time to do proper security testing means those words are literally the antithesis of how Proton actually operates. Verbally abusing employees is not putting people over profits. Prioritizing speed over security testing (which is functionally what is happening) does not ensure privacy by default. This is not to say that Proton is compromised —– very likely, the privacy guarantee still holds true for now. Rather, it is that the *trajectory* and *attitude* means that at some point, that guarantee will cease to be true. Will other companies disappoint? Probably. But that's like saying “What's the point of moving from Google? Other companies might disappoint you, so better to stay with the convenience of Google”. After all, Google's cloud suite is *infinitely* more convenient for most people than Proton is. Proton's suite is slower, has fewer features, and often feels incomplete. So by Widdershins' own argument, they should never have moved to Proton in the first place —– it was always less convenient than Google is. But they *did* move, implying that those arguments just are an argument to overlook this specific issue with Proton. And that's fine! You're free to ignore Proton's work culture and AI boosterism. But those of us who have a problem with it (like we had a problem with Google and Microsoft and the rest monetizing our lives) will move on and do the work of finding other alternatives. And to pretend as though that is virtue signalling is dishonest when it is very much the same attitude that brought us to Proton in the first place. **We moved to Proton for the same reason many of us are considering alternatives now** —– we had a problem with the way our previous provider was operating (whether that is privacy in the case of Google or workplace abuse and AI boosterism in the case of Proton). Unfortunately, my 2-year subscription renewed a few months ago, so there's no sense in my moving away from Proton for the foreseeable future. I am looking to see how things shake out and whether the Foundation does the right thing (kicking out Andy Yen and Bart Butler) to see whether I renew 2 years from now. I am already self-hosting [Ente](https://ente.com) for photos and will likely consider something like [Filen](https://filen.io/) for cloud storage. This leaves mail and VPN, but that's something to think about in the future should this not shake out the way I hope. I certainly understand folks cancelling their subscriptions how, however. The core, fundamental promises of Proton are now in jeopardy thanks to the attitudes of the CEO and CTO. While privacy guarantees are likely still intact for now, Proton is clearly not putting people above profits, and prioritizing AI over security **will** jeopardize the privacy guarantees in the future as well. I've been a paying customer since 2019 or so, I think, and I don't feel good recommending Proton anymore if someone asks for a privacy-respecting email service. I doubt I am alone in this. Unless they get their stuff in order, Proton is about to lose many of the very people who were enthusiastically promoting them to friends and family.