An Indian court has directed authorities to block access to the encrypted email service Proton Mail, intensifying ongoing tensions between privacy-focused tech firms and government surveillance mandates.
The ruling, issued on April 29 by Justice M. Nagaprasanna of the Karnataka High Court, mandates the immediate blocking of all domain names linked to Proton Mail under the provisions of India’s Information Technology Act of 2008. The order came in response to a petition filed by a New Delhi-based design firm, which claimed its employees had received offensive emails through the platform.
While it remains uncertain if the ban will be enforced or contested, the move signals growing regulatory pushback against encrypted services that refuse to cooperate with state investigations. Proton, which is operated by Swiss-based Proton AG, was previously under scrutiny in India following allegations that its platform was used to send hoax bomb threats. Despite those concerns, the service continued operating in the country until now.
This development echoes broader global pressure on privacy-centric platforms. In France, Telegram founder Pavel Durov was reportedly detained in connection with the app’s failure to regulate illicit content. And earlier in 2024, Proton AG disclosed user data to Spanish authorities in a rare compliance move—raising concerns among digital privacy advocates about the true anonymity of such services.
India’s regulatory clampdown comes amid a complex landscape for tech and crypto firms. Despite imposing a steep 30% tax on crypto profits since April 2022, the country still hosts one of the world’s largest populations of digital asset holders, estimated at over 100 million.
Proton Mail has yet to issue a public statement regarding the Indian court’s decision.
Meanwhile, in 2024, Proton launched Proton Wallet, a new self-custody Bitcoin wallet. The product integrated with ProtonMail, allowing users to send Bitcoin as effortlessly as sending an email. Andy Yen, Proton’s founder and CEO, explained that the Proton Wallet was designed to address the challenges of Bitcoin transactions and security concerns.
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