Proton Mail Not Blocked Under IT Act, Blocking Can't Happen 'At The Drop Of A Hat': Union Govt Tells Karnataka High Court

The Union Government informed the Karnataka High Court on Monday (March 10) that 'Proton Mail' has not been blocked under section 69A of the Information Technology Act in India. Proton Mail is a Swiss email service that offers end to end encrypted messaging for users.Additional Solicitor General Aravin Kamath filed a memo stating that Proton Mail has not been blocked and blocking cannot happen at the drop of a hat, there are rules in place to do so. As the counsel for the petitioner sought a week's time to make his submission seeking to ban the email service, Justice M Nagaprasanna posted the matter for further hearing on March 21.Earlier the court had directed the Union Government to inform the steps taken to ensure stopping of illegal use of 'Proton Mail'. The direction was issued while hearing a petition filed by M Moser Design Associated India Pvt Ltd, seeking a direction to the Union Government to take such steps as are necessary to ban the use of Proton Mail, in India. Further, a direction was sought to provide complete and upto-date information as to the regulations in place regarding use and access of Proton Mail, within India.The company has filed a complaint with police in relation to the criminal and illegal usage of Proton Mail, by which its senior female employees have been repeatedly targeted through the issuance of e-mails containing obscene, abusive and vulgar language and sexually coloured and derogatory remarks along with Al generated deepfake images and other sexually explicit content.It is claimed in the plea that the emails containing this content were issued to a large number of its staff, associates, vendors and competitors, resulting in irreparable reputational and psychological harm to the concerned employees.Further it is contended that despite registration of the FIR on 09.11.2024, no effective steps are taken by the police to identify the accused person(s), compelling the company to move the Jurisdictional Magistrate with an application to monitor police investigation. On being directed by the court the police filed a status report indicating that no concrete or effective steps were taken and use of Mutual Legal assistance arrangement between India and Switzerland, was not done.The plea seeks for issuance of a direction to police to collect all necessary information and documents pertaining to the sender of the offending email, through the mutual legal assistance arrangements between India and Switzerland in a time bound manner.The plea further seeks that the police be directed to forthwith seek issuance of Letters Rogatory/legal request through the jurisdictional magistrate, to the Federal Office of Justice, Switzerland for supply of all relevant information and documentation pertaining to the sender of the offending email.Case Title: M MOSER DESIGN ASSOCIATES INDIA PVT LTD AND State of Karnataka & OthersCase No: WP 2358/2025

Proton Mail Not Blocked Under IT Act, Blocking Can't Happen 'At The Drop Of A Hat': Union Govt Tells Karnataka High Court

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