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If they order to collect someone's data, can't ProtonMail just say "we've been ordered to collect data for a user" on the front page?

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It depends on jurisdiction. For example the UK has the infamous gag orders that are even harder to fight in court (successfully) than their US counterparts.

Sure, ProtonMail and its current operators could opt to stop operating in such jurisdictions, but usually it's too late for that when you get the [secret] court order, because if you refuse the operators personally are quickly found in contempt of court (or whatever other bad legal circumstance), and eventually that can lead to similar InterPol/EuroPol (other MLAT) warrants.

Aren't they in Switzerland though? A UK gag order can only have teeth within the UK, right?

But if you ever want to do business in the UK or travel to/through the UK, or in/to/through any country that might have MLAT with the UK ... then you're highly incentivized to take them at least a bit seriously to avoid really (sorry, royally!) pissing them off.

That's what warrant canaries[0] are for.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant_canary

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