India court orders block on Proton Mail under 2008 tech law

The High Court of Karnataka has directed the Indian administration to block domain names associated with Proton Mail.  

The decision was issued on April 29 by Justice M Nagaprasanna, invoking the Information Technology Act of 2008.  

The ruling followed a complaint filed in January by a design firm based in New Delhi.  

According to the complaint, employees of the firm had received offensive emails through the encrypted email service.  

The court ordered the government to “block forthwith” the domains, stating legal authority under the IT Act.  

It is currently unclear whether the blocking of Proton Mail will be implemented immediately or face legal objections.  

This is not the first time Proton Mail has faced pressure from Indian authorities.  

In March 2024, the service reported that officials in India had considered a ban due to alleged “hoax bomb threats.”  

Despite those discussions, the service continued to function within the country at the time.  

Proton did not issue a comment when contacted regarding the most recent order.  

The case is part of a broader pattern of regulatory action globally against tech platforms.  

In France, authorities arrested Telegram founder Pavel Durov for allegedly failing to moderate illicit content on the messaging app.  

In Spain, Proton AG provided user information to authorities in 2024, raising concerns among privacy advocates about the platform’s data practices.  

In India, the enforcement action adds to a growing list of restrictions involving online platforms.  

The country has also imposed significant regulations on cryptocurrency activity, including a 30% tax on crypto profits effective since April 2022.  

Despite oversight, India is estimated to have over 100 million crypto holders among its population of approximately 1.4 billion.  

The legal order against Proton Mail signals ongoing tension between privacy services and national regulations.