Proton Mail founder vows to fight Australia’s eSafety regulator in court rather than spy on users

Andy Yen says draft safety standards ‘would force online services … to access, collect and read users’ private conversations’

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The founder of encrypted email service Proton has said the company would fight the Australian online safety regulator in court if forced to weaken encryption under proposed standards.

The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has proposed cloud and messaging service providers should detect and remove known child abuse material and pro-terror material “where technically feasible” – as well as disrupt and deter new material of that nature.

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