Need a new email provider....Tuta ?

[Condobloke]

Tuta Mail: Create a secure, private & encrypted email account for free

Tuta is the secure email service, built in Germany. Use encrypted emails on all devices with our open source email client, mobile apps & desktop clients.

tuta.com

I know I have opened numerous topics re email providers.

my determination to degoogle myself is growing

Enter TUTA email (link above)

Anyone had any experience of it.....it used to be called tutanota

Based in Germany

proton mail is based in Switzerland

Any difference/advantage being based in either germany or switzerland ??

Make me think.....anything at all......pros vs cons etc etc etc


According to Tuta....
We provide more thorough encryption than any other provider. In comparison with Proton Mail we protect much more data with end-to-end encryption, including subject lines, entire address book, calendar meta-data. Our business accounts are easy to migrate to and include more security features than any other email or calendar service. We don’t rely on integrations with Google services, unlike our competitors. With Tuta, you get the biggest bang for your buck, with the most features included with a free account and the lowest price points for paid accounts. All paid accounts include support for your custom domain with which you can create as many email addresses as you need.

 

[Aristarchus]

Plus over Proton Mail: no privacy issues (in contrast to Proton)
Minus: proprietary encryption works only between Tuta accounts.
There are other options e.g. countermail, maibox with good privacy record... but I alvays use VPN when connecting to my email account.

 

[Condobloke]

In its favour, Tuta....... is cheaper than proton. I do not wish to have to shell out money for an email service, but it becomes a tossup if I continue to persevere with google and their antics.....wiping some of my emails that contain epub format (books) which I send to people needing books to read(most of them overseas)....and passing off their intimidating intrusion as : "it may be a security concern" .....God only knows what button I pressed to warrant that sort of attention, but I really do not appreciate it ! It raises the hackles. Actually the button I probably pressed with google is that they cannot convince me to allow them to place multiple cookies on my pc.

Of all the bells and whistles available on either proton or tuta etc etc....I really dont think I need them all.....All i really need to is to be rid of googles nastiness. But if I have to pay a price then I suppose that is the way of the (current) world and I will just have to suck it up....maybe go rob a bank.

 

[ron.alan]

I use Protonmail. I don't know anything about Tuta (I'm going to check it out). There's also Swiss Cows; I do have a Swiss Cows account but don't use it. Only have it in case I get soured with Proton.

 

[GatorsFan]

Here is my 2 cents for what it is worth - Germany is part of NATO while Switerland is Neutral - so since Germeny is part of NATO it is required to obey NATO rules and privacy only goes so far - if court orderd by NATO - Germany will cough up your stuff Switzerland may not

see - https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_210002.htm

 

[Aristarchus]

The argument for neutral Switherland does not work well. Proton mail repeatedly gave up user information when asked. One example here:

Proton Mail Discloses User Data Leading to Arrest in Spain

Proton Mail came under scrutiny for its role in a legal request by the Spanish authorities leading to the identification and arrest of a user.

restoreprivacy.com

 

[GatorsFan]

The argument for neutral Switherland does not work well. Proton mail repeatedly gave up user information when asked. One example here:

Proton Mail Discloses User Data Leading to Arrest in Spain

Proton Mail came under scrutiny for its role in a legal request by the Spanish authorities leading to the identification and arrest of a user.

restoreprivacy.com

Well then there you go nothing is really secure after all - big brother is everywhere - I did like Protons statement

"Proton has minimal user information, as illustrated by the fact that in this case data obtained from Apple was used to identify the terrorism suspect. Proton provides privacy by default and not anonymity by default because anonymity requires certain user actions to ensure proper OpSec, such as not adding your Apple account as an optional recovery method"

So it looks like Apple busted him not Proton

 

[Aristarchus]

Well then there you go nothing is really secure after all - big brother is everywhere - I did like Protons statement

"Proton has minimal user information, as illustrated by the fact that in this case data obtained from Apple was used to identify the terrorism suspect. Proton provides privacy by default and not anonymity by default because anonymity requires certain user actions to ensure proper OpSec, such as not adding your Apple account as an optional recovery method"

So it looks like Apple busted him not Proton

There are better mail providers. That is all. Does not mean that one can't use Proton mail. Just one needs to be more careful.
If OP wants to degogle himself, then it sounds like anonimity is expected. Proton mail does not provide it.

Also, I would set several mail accounts with different providers (without recovery mail obviously). It is easy to handle and helps sort through incoming mail if sorted per account.
It minimises spam, it keeps ones email more secure if one email provider gets hacked.

 

[Terminal Velocity]

Swiss law is the most protective in Europe (that means in the world) for human rights. German authorities are more free to ''handle'' people like a zoo, they have the far-right to handle and they have STASI in their tradition. Proton is what you are looking for

 

[Trynna3]

I have Tuta and Proton (not used much, just registered). I like Tuta being straightforward and without deception. With Proton I thought I was going to get 1GB, but that had conditions not disclosed before subscribing. Now they limited by time and 4 actions to get free 1GB, which I didn't follow and only get 500MB. I don't like to be forced into things.
On the down side, Tuta is a terrible name for serious business. But otherwise that is all I would complain at this stage. It is simple, without bells and whistles, it will suit some people.

 

[wm460]

@Condobloke, Just wondering what email providers you ended getting?
In the process of getting rid of any thing google microtwats.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Any difference/advantage being based in either germany or switzerland ??

The difference that's worth it are privacy laws and country of origin.
Switzerland has better privacy laws from user perspective:

New Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP)

Switzerland is implementing new legislation to better protect its citizens' data. Swiss companies will have to comply with this legislation from the second quarter of 2022.

www.kmu.admin.ch

Other than laws, country of origin is important too but it's mostly political reasons instead of law, so we won't discuss these.

According to Tuta....

I think, don't listen to what owner says, listen to what community says instead, list below is my source for email providers since long time ago, there is still no free alternative to protomail, but there are good options with paid plans:

Privacy-Conscious Email Services

A site to list and compare the offerings of different email services, with privacy and security in mind.

prxbx.com

 

[Trynna3]

IMO, not that I am an expert, but what I think is that whatever the laws, if the emails are encrypted between the sender and recipient, both using the same or similar email provider, all anyone can get is the info outside, like what are the links to this or that, like Proton desperately wanted me to link all my gmail correspondence to Proton. I haven't, and so I only got 500MB storage. Laws can change from time to time, so if today the laws didn't require the provider giving them my gmail address and they could intercept that one, tomorrow they can. And then comes the Copilot and Recall on the scene. For now they promote it as it is on your system only and encrypted. But that might not be the case forever - for Windows users. Remember that the strength of any chain is determined by its weakest link. If you have encrypted emails but your recipient doesn't, authorities or anyone can get to you via your correspondence to that person. And the Recall will make sure they get the hint. Or simply FBI or a similar service hacking the recipient's system. Or yours. Their only chance is to get the info before it makes to the encrypted platform, or after it reached unencrypted destination.
Tuta also is free, so it isn't true there is no free alternative to Proton mail.

 

[Terminal Velocity]

The emails rarely can be encrypted, either by manual pgp or automated using the same secure provider. It is weird to send an encrypted email to someone if he doesn't have the same concerns with you. The real benefit of using a secure provider like Proton is that your inbox is encrypted with 0 knowledge by them as they claim.

When you use an email for many years and you create accounts with it, and having conversations with many people, It concentrates a serious amount of info about you that you don't want it to be browsed by unknown to you people.

We use Proton because that info is collected and stored in Switzerland, and because we trust their word, always you have to trust somebody

 

[Trenix25]

There are better mail providers. That is all. Does not mean that one can't use Proton mail. Just one needs to be more careful.
If OP wants to degogle himself, then it sounds like anonimity is expected. Proton mail does not provide it.

Also, I would set several mail accounts with different providers (without recovery mail obviously). It is easy to handle and helps sort through incoming mail if sorted per account.
It minimises spam, it keeps ones email more secure if one email provider gets hacked.

Proton also allows a free email account and has an onion address so it is possible to create a free email account with any name you want to use for yourself, without requiring a real name or any other identifying information about you. Since this can use Tor, but Proton requires JavaScript, you can hide behind a VPN before entering Tor and then get to Proton to create your email account. Proton encrypts email messages with PGP which uses RSA which was broken by the NSA back in the 1990s. Their VPN service uses asymmetrical RSA for initial encryption and authentication. After that I believe ProtonVPN uses AES256 for the session key. I agree though, getting as far away from Google as you can is a great idea. The logo Proton uses shows a twist in the bottom of the letter P which they say represents a turn away from big tech companies.

Signed,

Matthew Campbell

 

[Trenix25]

Well then there you go nothing is really secure after all - big brother is everywhere - I did like Protons statement

"Proton has minimal user information, as illustrated by the fact that in this case data obtained from Apple was used to identify the terrorism suspect. Proton provides privacy by default and not anonymity by default because anonymity requires certain user actions to ensure proper OpSec, such as not adding your Apple account as an optional recovery method"

So it looks like Apple busted him not Proton

Proton did not require me to use an alternate email to verify anything when I created an anonymous email account over Tor.

Signed,

Matthew Campbell