Agreed. The way he talks to his technical staff who _made the product and his position as CEO possible in the first place_ shows a complete disrespect for his workers and a complete disregard for the principles of privacy and security which lie at the root of ProtonMail's value and that of all of its other services.

He and ANY of the executives/Board who share his views and contempt for secure software design and the value of their employees should be replaced immediately, and I will not recommend Proton to anyone ever again until and unless such executives are gone. Proton MUST show a true commitment to 'move slowly and not break things', and the "AI" push should be done away with entirely.

Following this extremely closely, as are many people I'm close to who have accounts with Proton.

I expected better behavior from a European organization, especially with all the (rightful) talk of decreasing reliance of US-based tech throughout the continent. I'm not a European and had been seeking out European tech providers.

Guess that might be a mistake. Can't even trust the European ones to do things right. Everywhere just sucks.

But Andy Yen seems like a trash person with trash morality. His PR attempts are egregiously weak and transparent. He's an apologist for the far-right movements worldwide, and that's the biggest red flag someone can have.

His behavior now should get him and any mindless lackeys an IMMEDIATE and permanent boot from Proton.

I have been a paying user for a few years now and had successfully been able to get a number of my friends migrated over to Proton from the Google ecosystem. After I saw Andy Yen's comment last year about the political appointee, I made sure to tell my friends to purchase their domains and not tie them to the Proton domain. I am glad I did that because it prepared my friends and me for an eventuality just like this one.

I am not loyal to the Proton ecosystem - I am loyal to the mission of software freedom and privacy. I don't want the Silicon Valley vulture capitalist mindset in my software. If I did, I would have been using Google instead. I think the CEO and CTO badly misjudged their employees and their customers. If Yen and Butler are not fired, I will be taking my business elsewhere.

The security risk of poorly reviewed AI code is bad enough on its own, but the employee abuse and Yen's comments are both serious warning signs that Proton is likely to go down the same road as other big tech companies and destroy its reason for existence in the process. I was starting to transition to Proton as part of my degoogling journey, but now I feel like I'm back to square one. I'm going to have to look elsewhere unless Yen resigns and the new leader acts quickly to restore my trust.

Did not stop my subscription yet, but will be following closely developments of this story

This isn’t a simple request, but it’s a critical and urgent need. Paying subscribers came to Proton for security reasons and need to be assured that the security of their data and interactions remains Proton’s utmost priority. Andy Yen has shown he is just like every other tech CEO - a bully and an unimaginative sellout, who’s willing to compromise users’ privacy and break their trust to make a buck. There is no going back, he must go. Immediately. I have multiple paid accounts that will not be renewed if he stays.

Andy Yen's reported bullying, public humiliation of engineers, and dismissal of legitimate security concerns are unacceptable. Bart Butler's aggressive push toward AI-generated code and reduced human oversight raises equally serious concerns.

A toxic management culture doesn't just harm employees. It puts product quality, security, and ultimately users' trust at risk.

For a Swiss company built on privacy, freedom, and transparency, this is deeply hypocritical.

Andy Yen and Bart Butler have become liabilities to Proton's credibility. The Proton Foundation should independently investigate their leadership and hold them accountable.

You cannot expect users to trust your security products when your own engineers are afraid to speak up.

Proton was a service I have deeply been considering due to privacy concerns with Big Tech. What's the point if you are just a wanna be Big Tech?

I (and plenty of other users) signed up for this paid mail because we care about privacy and a company that does right. A sociopath CEO who hard pivots into everything AI related doesn't fit that mold, nor does a sociopath CEO who talks like Trump to his own employees. Let the developers develop, and let the board find a new CEO.

Once my subscription expires I'll find a new mail and alias provider if leadership hasn't changed and aligned with Proton's original message.

Proton needs a new CEO and CTO, and I do not want Lumo ever integrated into critical apps like Pass, Mail, Drive, or Calendar. Proton's tagline is literally privacy by default. It's not negotiable. They go or I do.

Canceled my subscription.

The abusive way Andy treats his employees is beyond unacceptable and is the #1 concern here, for me. I will not financially support a business that does not treat its employees with respect.

As much as I've been disappointed with Proton's desktop software on Linux, I'd much rather have a bad VPN app than an AI-programmed one. Give the engineers their time. I will probably not be renewing.

I’ll try a more measured response here. Yen has messed up these past years. First, his assumptions about Trump/Repubs in re Big Tech have proven to be extremely wrong and were obvious to anyone with a passing interest in US politics; an egregious misunderstanding of the actual US uniparty when it comes to building a surveillance state. Next, Yen et al has every right to make a profit; he’s running a company not a charity. He also has his right to view AI however he wants. The latest debacle of the CEO/CTO is a mistake in positioning and execution. It is very clear (even from their own words) that AI is not even close to perfect for the task. But their customer base prioritizes privacy and security, which demand near-perfection, not speed/efficiency. So what the customer base is hearing is Yen/Bart saying “Move fast and break things” not “improve quality”. Zuckerberg-esque “Break things” is a very bad implication for the security/privacy/anonymity focus of the user base. This is where Yen/Bart gravely messed up in their wording and execution.

I've cancelled my Proton subscription and have begun looking for alternatives. I won't change my mind unless this changes.

Proton needs mature leadership which listens to its senior engineering team and adopts change with caution. I'm okay with the usage of AI tools by engineers when appropriate, but Andy's statements as reported by 404 Media are absolutely unhinged and unacceptable. We the customers demand Andy treat his staff with the dignity and respect they deserve. I am truly outraged to hear anything to the contrary. I have reached out to many people I know already to whom I had previously recommended Proton and cautioned them against joining due to this abject failure of leadership. The CTO must go too. Quite frankly, the whole C-suite needs to be fired, because they are all responsible for recent disrespect towards Proton employees. Reports that staff are being re-interviewed and having their jobs threatened over their willingness to adopt AI in a way that throws caution to the wind is honestly unforgivable. ANDY MUST GO.

I am so disappointed in Proton... I joined because it was presented as a safe and privacy oriented service, made to offer something that the internet was missing.

Only to see it enshittify by A.I. and toxic management. What a waste...

I won't be renewing my family plan.

The most important feature of all. Already cancelled my subscription and not going back until it is implemented.

Cancelled my family sub today. Will reverse if this important feature is implemented, thanks.

I have cancelled my subscription. Andy Yen's behaviour is a betrayal of the values that made Proton what it is. Until there is significant change, I will not be returning to Proton.