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What does "encrypting" an email mean to you? If a Gmail user contacts me on Protonmail and Protonmail "encrypts" the message to me after receipt - what problem

• ziddoap 4y ago
  I wonder why you used quotes around encryption? They encrypt the email. That very obviously does not mean Proton somehow encrypted the sent email in the senders Gmail account. However, lacking the other data point (e.g. knowing who has sent me an email from a service that does not encrypt their emails, and being able to access that email from that account), my emails are not readable without my secret. I never claimed that Proton can encrypt someone else's emails.
  • 0daystock 4y ago
    I think the point of contention is exactly how obvious this is to most Protonmail users. I worry too many read "it's encrypted" and make dangerous assumptions about what can actually be guaranteed rather than investigating first-hand; this is the real risk of such services, in my opinion. I put "encryption" in quotes to indicate nuance in the characterization. A locksmith installs an amazing door and lock at my home, but keeps a copy of the key at the shop - I think a fitting analogy for what Protonmail is essentially doing here. This isn't a value judgement - such a setup is perfectly reasonable for most people's threat model - rather an honest apprehension of actual trust boundaries.
    • ziddoap 4y ago
      I absolutely agree that the marketing and branding around almost every service that either does (or claims to) promote privacy and security leaves a lot to be desired. It's a hard problem, and a problem applicable to many domains. How do you communicate nuance that requires multiple years of education to people who don't have multiple years of education? I don't know.