Andy Yen steps aside
The user base most likely to go all-in with Proton are the least likely to approve of Yen's AI delirium. (I'm referencing the latest 404 Media article.)
We don't want a product that is AI coded. And we don't want the people hard at work, making Proton a viable alternative to big tech, being treated like garbage - like they work for Big Tech.
Proton needs a new CEO.
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Matías Eyzaguirre
commented
I decided to pay for a Proton plan because I have a legal obligation to protect the privacy of the sensitive data my clients share with me. If Proton is dismissing its own engineers attempts at keeping their services secure, I cannot afford the risk of having said sensitive data leaked on the internet. I need a guarantee of Proton correcting this behaviour immediately, or I will be forced to switch to a service that's actually secure and that takes the insight of its workers seriously.
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J
commented
Just read the article. You need to get rid of Andy Yen and the CTO, otherwise I will 100% be cancelling as soon as I can. I'm going to start migration today.
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Nim
commented
Good thing I dropped my 2 yearly plan to yearly it seems. Not renewing if these clowns stay on as CEO and CTO
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Phil
commented
I won't be renewing unless this clown is replaced.
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Tamás Baranya commented
Dear Proton, big tech is cancer, ai coding is cancer and your CEO pushing unsafe code for profit and treating employees like garbage is unacceptable. I can’t believe I left google for this. I pay for your service, because I wanted a reliable provider and you’re really forcing my hand to go to another one. Shame on Andy and the board if they tolerate this nonsense.
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DC
commented
This is literally the opposite of why I signed up for Proton. Andy Yen needs to get out.
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Kristin Turner commented
Fix your model and mindset or lose subscribers, my dude. How dare you run a campaign telling people to not log in with google and then turn around and do shady **** like this. WE DON’T WANT AI IN OUR ****. It is not secure, it’s not private, the list could go on about how terrible it is. You really need to do a reality check and learn who your users are and who is supporting your product because you’re about to lose them.
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Alex
commented
Let me be very explicit here. If the allegations are true and Andy + whoever other AI-mongering ***** don't step down, I will immediately quit using Proton's entire suite of services. I've been an Unlimited user for several years. I was planning on getting a Duo for my wife and I this December when my 1Password subscription expired. I will not be doing that anymore. I'll be waiting to see what happens next with this situation.
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Marqzman
commented
We chose proton because they cared about privacy and security. I do not want to use AI slop for my email or VPN. If I did, I would use Google.
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Simon
commented
No room in Proton or any business for a ******** loser CEO.
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Dave
commented
I moved my entire family from Google to Proton. They didn't understand why, but they did it. Now I have to explain that it was all for nothing, as Proton is turning into yet another uncaring big tech company. Trust is a big part of why folks choose Proton (any privacy-based tech, really), and now that trust has been shattered.
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Ben Doney commented
I don't think Yen understands the core of the user base. And if he does, he doesn't care about them. Security and privacy are the top desired features of the Proton suite. So if he prefers to ditch those in favor of faster development, then just be prepared to lose a huge chunk of your users (and revenue).
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QM commented
I intended to subscribe for 2 years when this article just popped up. I will not subscribe and cancel my current monthly plan if Andy Yen doesn't step aside and if the way of using AI internally doesn't change. I came to Proton for a quality, secure product, not for vibe coded ******** and even less for disrespected employees.
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WastedFace
commented
I just signed up a few months ago for both my family and my business. I've accepted things I wouldn't normally when it comes to features because I valued the security proton offered. Unless the CEO steps down I will not be renewing. I cannot in good conscience invest money in an organization that sells on privacy, and throws that out the window at the first taste of AI.
And beyond that, a CEO who treats his word class team like dogs – are you kidding? Get bent Yen. You're just like the other get-rich-quick technocrats who value nothing but their own petulance over human good and should be outed immediately!
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J
commented
The content of the 404 Media article is extremely disappointing. I run a team of security engineers and the attitude displayed by Andy Yen here is antithetical to the process of building security critical software. It's incredibly disappointing to see this sort of behaviour both from a human perspective displayed towards his staff and from a technical perspective adopting an "AI at any cost" mindset.
Andy, if you read this I'm sure your default reaction will be to go and berate your staff or attempt to find the people quoted in the article. I would urge you to pause and consider whether your approach here may in fact not be optimal for attracting and retaining exactly the kind of people who form Proton's customer base. A little introspection is to be respected.
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Simon
commented
Unless Andy Yen steps aside, I am cancelling my proton subscription and will move to another company. I started supporting proton because I believe in the values it promotes. Abusing employees is not part of those values.
Proton needs to do some soul searching about the company it wants to be. Most of us came to proton because we did not like the way big tech companies act. We have no problem leaving if proton goes down the same path.
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Morgane
commented
Absolutely agree. I pay annually for Proton under the impression that this is a security-first company, the idea that any code here would be slopped out by predictive AI models with no oversight has made me reconsider renewing that subscription.
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[Deleted User]
commented
i unfortunately paid upfront for the year and moved my domain emails to proton a couple months ago.
I will not be renewing.
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SJW
commented
I started paying for Proton because I care about security and privacy more than I cared about new features. Until now I thought that Proton understood that they were selling trust in their commitment to security. Andy Yen's comments, specifically calling security testing "loser thinking" above and beyond the rest of it, makes it pretty clear to me that I was wrong about that. Unless something changes, I'm going to be buying from someone else in short order.
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alspals
commented
If this continues I will have to migrate once again to a service that actually values their employees and wants to make a secure product.