this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2026
-36 points (29.5% liked)

Privacy

46407 readers
1030 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Proton VPN/mail. It's often recommended as being safe, but I'm not so sure.

It has servers in Israel. Ties to Israel are never a good thing. Palantir, Epstein, etc are tied to Israel, and Israel also is known for its surveillance. It is also true that it's completely legal there for them to access and monitor any and all information that passes through VPNs or networks there.

I'm looking for a safe alternative that's privacy-conscious and isn't linked to Israel. Both mail and vpn (it's fine if they're separate). Please let me know if you guys know.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] antifa_ceo@lemmy.ml 38 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Having servers in Israel means you are materially tied to them now? Making this jump to liken it to Epstein or Palantir is kinda wild imo

[–] FreudianCafe@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

Remember me of a guy who said that being paid by the CIA doesnt mean youre actually working for the CIA.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

Having servers in Israel means you are materially tied to them now?

Yes, absolutely. Profiting from servers under genocidal control is literally being materially tied to genocide.

[–] antifa_ceo@lemmy.ml 2 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (1 children)

Like I hear what you're saying. I'm on the fuck Israel train as much as everyone but how does them hosting servers in that region support genocide? Are they giving money to the Israeli government? Defending the IDF?

Like there is McDonald's in Israel does that mean McDonald's is complicit in genocide? (I actually don't know if they give money to support Israel but my point is more broad than that and might be a bad example)

Edit: Also for the McD's example I guess they make money off of Israelis but I still posit that is different to a large degree with being complicit in genocide.

[–] manuallybreathing@lemmy.ml 1 points 13 hours ago

hosting servers in that region support genocide?

yes, it's occupied land, it's not like those servers are in tunnels in Gaza, paying fees to Palestinians

It's the same in many places, and more often than not israel is held up as a special example

[–] Pricklesthemagicfish@reddthat.com -4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Would you buy a volkswagen in the 1940s?

[–] Shabby4582@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Could you explain why this is the same?

[–] FreudianCafe@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

In one case you have a company tied to a nazi regime, in the other case you have a company tied to a nazi regime. Hope this helps

[–] PiraHxCx@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Proton has servers in 127 countries, including Cuba, Russia, Venezuela... do they all count as ties?

[–] manuallybreathing@lemmy.ml 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

You're here comparing Venezuela and Cuba to nazis, get out you pig

[–] PiraHxCx@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

I’m here saying Proton has servers in 127 countries and they are widely different, so how do you decide to which ones they are "tied" (protip: They are tied to none, getting an exit node in a country benefit users from the countries next to it, and it also opens that country's geolocked content to the world). Get a brain.

[–] FreudianCafe@lemmy.ml 2 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Yes, but afaik they are not nazis nor are involved in the kind of genocidal actions israel is

[–] PiraHxCx@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Proton has servers in both Russia and Ukraine, and neither means Proton has ties with their governments. If you want to expand an Israel boycott to anyone doing business with any company from Israel then ok, but the word "ties" seems to imply some involvement or complicity with a government/regime/ideology, like they are connected to anything said place is doing.

You sir have made my day. Thank you.