Indian High Court Directs Action to Block Proton Mail

A court in India has directed that the encrypted email service Proton Mail be barred from the country due to its refusal to provide information to authorities.

On April 29, during a session at the High Court of Karnataka, Justice M Nagaprasenna presided over the proceedings. ordered The government ordered "an immediate block" of domain names linked to Proton Mail, invoking powers granted by the nation's Information Technology Act of 2008. This directive was prompted by a complaint submitted in January by a New Delhi-based design company, which alleged that several of its staff members had been targeted by inappropriate messages sent via this service.

It remains uncertain if the ban will be implemented or encounter further legal hurdles. The Proton team reported In March 2024, Indian officials suggested ordering the service shut down in reaction to purported "fake bomb scares," yet the service kept running within the nation.

The clampdown on Proton Mail seemed to be part of an extensive worldwide pattern targeting actions against platforms due to their users' activities, like how Telegram’s creator Pavel Durov was arrested in France partly because of this reason. allegedly failing to moderate Illegitimate material. Cointelegraph contacted Proton for remarks but had not received any feedback by the time this was published.

Related: Cryptocurrency projects gear up to contest for privacy rights in Switzerland

In Spain, Proton AG — the Swiss-based company responsible for the platform — supplied details to law enforcement officials Regarding one of its users in 2024, this shift led numerous privacy proponents to question the safety of their information within the centralized system.

Competing for market share in the globe’s most populated nation

Crypto exchange platforms have frequently encountered legal actions aimed at restricting their operations within a nation, sometimes resulting in blocks or prohibitions. In 2022, U.S. regulators enforced penalties on cryptocurrency mixing services such as Tornado Cash. facing swift backlash From the sector-specific challenges and legal hurdles, while South Korea allegedly blocked 14 exchanges On the Apple Store for reportedly functioning without the necessary registration.

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In India, users face a 30% tax Regarding profits from cryptocurrency trading, which has been applicable since April 2022. Despite the growing regulatory scrutiny faced by crypto companies operating within the nation, India continues to proceed with caution. estimated to have Over 100 million individuals hold digital assets from its approximately 1.4 billion population.

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