FBI used Swiss MLAT to identify 'Stop Cop City' Proton Mail account via payment data
Mar 9th 2026
Swiss authorities provided Proton Mail payment records to the FBI under a mutual legal assistance treaty on January 25, 2024, enabling agents to identify the person behind an account linked to Stop Cop City protests through a credit card identifier. Proton says message content remained encrypted and that it responded to Swiss legal requests rather than handing data directly to US authorities.
- The FBI obtained payment data from Swiss authorities through a mutual legal assistance treaty on January 25, 2024.
- Proton says it did not provide data directly to the FBI and complied only with Swiss legal orders.
- Authorities identified the activist behind the anonymous Proton Mail account by matching a credit card identifier to the account.
- Paying with a credit card can deanonymize otherwise encrypted accounts because financial records are accessible to law enforcement.