What to know

  • The Karnataka High Court ordered the Indian government to block Proton Mail, a Switzerland-based encrypted email service.
  • The ruling follows a complaint from M Moser Design Associates about employees receiving obscene emails, AI-generated deepfakes, and sexually explicit content.
  • The court cited national security concerns and challenges for law enforcement due to Proton Mail's end-to-end encryption.

On April 29, 2025, the Karnataka High Court directed the Indian government to block Proton Mail, a popular email service known for its enhanced security and end-to-end encryption. Justice M Nagaprasanna issued the order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act of 2008.

The court ruling stems from a legal complaint filed in January by New Delhi-based M Moser Design Associates. The firm alleged that its employees had received emails containing obscene and vulgar content, AI-generated deepfake imagery, and sexually explicit material sent via Proton Mail.

According to the petitioners, Proton Mail refused to share details about the senders of these offensive emails, despite a police complaint. They argued that since Proton Mail operates servers outside India, it remains inaccessible to law enforcement agencies.

The court also noted that several bomb threats to Indian schools were previously sent using the service, which has already been banned in countries like Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Additional Solicitor General Aravind Kamath, representing the Indian government, had earlier told the high court that the government might have a limited role in addressing the petitioner's concerns. He suggested criminal courts could seek the required information from Swiss authorities since the petitioner had made a complaint.

In the Tuesday hearing streamed on YouTube, Justice Nagaprasanna ordered the government to "block Proton Mail, bearing in mind the observations made in the course of the order." The court also mandated immediate blocking of "offending URLs" until final decisions are made.

As of April 30, 2025, Proton Mail remains accessible in India based on checks of its website. This is not the first time the service has faced potential restrictions in India. In early 2024, Indian authorities considered blocking the service following hoax bomb threats, but the order was not issued after intervention by Swiss authorities.

While Proton is not allowed to transmit data to foreign authorities under Swiss law, it is obligated to respond to orders from Swiss authorities, who may work with outside agencies to tackle illegal activity.

The crackdown on Proton Mail appears to be part of a larger global trend of actions against platforms based on users' activities, similar to the recent arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France for allegedly failing to moderate illicit content.

Via: techcrunch