India's Karnataka High Court has ordered the nationwide blocking of Proton Mail, an encrypted email provider based in Switzerland, after allegations that the service was used to disseminate abusive messages and AI-generated explicit content.
The ban follows a legal petition filed by an Indian design firm claiming that its staff received vulgar emails laced with synthetic imagery created using deepfake technologies.
The legal challenge originated in January 2025, when M Moser Design Associates, a New Delhi-based architectural and interior design company, brought the matter to court after multiple offensive emails were reportedly sent to its employees from Proton Mail accounts. The emails allegedly contained sexually explicit language, abusive content, and AI-generated deepfake material, prompting the firm to seek government intervention under India's Information Technology Act of 2008.
During a hearing on April 29, 2025, Justice M. Nagaprasanna directed the Indian government to initiate proceedings under Section 69A of the IT Act, which empowers authorities to block public access to online information in the interest of national security, public order or to prevent the incitement of offenses. The judge also instructed that URLs associated with the reported abuse be immediately blocked, pending completion of the formal process.
Proton Mail, operated by Proton AG and headquartered in Switzerland, is known for its end-to-end encryption and strong privacy safeguards. Designed to minimize the amount of metadata stored and offer full message encryption, the service is widely used by privacy-conscious individuals, activists, and journalists. Due to its adherence to Swiss privacy laws, Proton is unable to share user data with foreign governments directly, although it complies with lawful Swiss requests that can lead to international cooperation via mutual legal assistance treaties.
This is not the first time Proton Mail has faced regulatory pressure in India. In 2024, local authorities in Tamil Nadu attempted to block the service after it was allegedly used to send false bomb threats to schools. That attempt was ultimately stalled, reportedly due to objections raised by Swiss authorities. More recently, the Delhi High Court requested an investigation into the email service's use across India.
As of writing, Proton Mail remains accessible in India, and no official confirmation has been provided regarding the implementation timeline for the ban. We have contacted Proton for a comment on the court order but have yet to receive a response. The company has also not issued a public statement addressing the latest development.
For now, those relying on Proton for secure communications should consider alternate secure channels and prepare for service disruptions.
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