Hello everyone, I am starting to feel a bit worried about Proton's recent practices so I wrote an open letter to the company, please find it below:

Dear ProtonMail Employees and Management,

I hope this letter finds you well. As a loyal paying customer and a staunch advocate for privacy-focused products, I felt compelled to reach out to express my growing concerns regarding the direction ProtonMail seems to be taking.

When I made the switch from mainstream tech products to Proton services, it was driven by a strong belief in your mission to provide a secure and private alternative to the offerings of big tech companies. However, recent developments have left me feeling anxious and disheartened, as I fear that ProtonMail may be straying from its core identity in pursuit of broader market appeal.

One of my primary concerns stems from your recent social media posts promoting partnerships that seem at odds with the values ProtonMail stands for. For instance, the collaboration with Airalo eSIMs raises red flags for me, particularly given the company's ties to low-cost eSIM providers and its operations through partners in Israel—a nation known for its extensive surveillance practices. This association feels contradictory to the privacy-centric ethos that ProtonMail has championed.

Additionally, I was troubled by the post criticizing DeepSeek, especially when the same scrutiny could have been directed toward OpenAI. DeepSeek, with its open-source nature, aligns more closely with the principles of transparency and user control that are foundational to Proton's mission. Instead of dismissing it, I believe it deserves recognition for its commitment to privacy, particularly when run locally.

Moreover, the promotion of Zoom integration over Jitsi Meet is another point of concern. Jitsi Meet, being open-source and privacy-focused, would have been a more fitting choice for a company that prides itself on safeguarding user data. This decision seems to prioritize convenience over the core values that initially attracted many of us to ProtonMail.

These examples are just a few of the many concerns I have, and I could provide additional instances that further illustrate my worries. I urge you to refocus on the principles that have made ProtonMail a trusted name in privacy. Prioritizing development for Linux and Android platforms over iOS would also resonate more with the privacy-conscious community, as these platforms are often seen as more aligned with user privacy.

I appreciate the hard work and dedication that goes into building and maintaining ProtonMail, and I sincerely hope that my concerns resonate with you. It is crucial that ProtonMail remains steadfast in its commitment to privacy and security, as this is what sets it apart in an increasingly crowded market.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my thoughts. I look forward to seeing ProtonMail continue to lead the way in privacy-focused solutions.

Sincerely,
Siva S.