Help us defend democracy and freedom in Hong Kong

Posted on July 21st, 2020 by in Articles & News.

illustration of hong kong and protonvpn

 

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These are dark days for Hong Kong. On July 6, in the middle of the night, Hong Kong’s governing body effectively destroyed the idea of an autonomous, democratic Hong Kong by imposing a series of measures designed to eliminate privacy, sharpen censorship, and curb freedom of speech.

The cause of freedom has no borders, and in order to succeed we must stand together. Hong Kong’s fight is also the world’s fight, and we all have a responsibility to stand with Hong Kong. Today we’re announcing a new initiative to defend democracy, privacy, and freedom of speech in Hong Kong. 

We will be donating 50% of our revenue from July, August, and September 2020 from Hong Kong to support two local civil rights organizations: 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund and Stand With Hong Kong.

Over the course of this campaign, we hope to raise over HK$1,000,000 (about US$130,000) to help defend freedom in Hong Kong. As of July 20, 2020, the campaign has so far raised HK$171,000.

Why Hong Kong needs our support

Since 1997, Hong Kong has been a Special Administrative Region (SAR) within China, governed by the Hong Kong Basic Law which protects a number of fundamental rights. However, despite this internationally recognized legal protection, Chinese authorities have repeatedly attempted to chip away at Hong Kong’s freedom. These attempts have triggered massive protests from Hong Kong citizens concerned about protecting their freedoms. 

In an attempt to crush the protest movement, China passed a National Security Law on June 30, which outlaws “subversion,” a vaguely defined concept, which clears the way for China to impose the same iron-fist tactics it deploys on the mainland: Orwellian censorship, warrantless searches, secret trials against political prisoners, coerced confessions, and even torture. The decree, and its July 6 implementation rules, have radically changed the situation on the ground in Hong Kong. In effect, the Great Firewall of China can now be extended to Hong Kong, and protesters can now be arbitrarily detained and subject to criminal prosecution. 

Former Hong Kong legislator Nathan Law explains how freedom is under threat and what Hong Kongers can do to resist.

We also noticed these impacts at Proton. Both Proton Mail and Proton VPN have long been used by Hong Kong citizens to keep their communications and online activity secure from government surveillance. After July 6, Proton VPN could also become essential in order to access the Internet without censorship. Since the introduction of the National Security Law, interest in Proton VPN in Hong Kong has increased by 3,000%, reaching the third position in the Hong Kong app store.

At Proton, we believe in freedom and democracy for all citizens of the world, and we have long been supporting the activist community in Hong Kong, including organizations such as HKmaps. Protecting freedom is a long and difficult struggle, and in order to succeed, the peoples of the world must stand together, and today we stand with Hong Kong. We hope that through our financial support, the cause for freedom in Hong Kong can continue to burn brightly. 

Hong Kong civil rights organizations we’re supporting

We have selected two organizations in Hong Kong, and we will distribute funds equally to each of them. We decided on these organizations based on a selection process that involved nominations from activists in Hong Kong that we work with. Our goal was to select organizations where we believe our donation will make a meaningful impact on democracy and rule of law for Hong Kongers.

612 Humanitarian Relief Fund

Established after the anti-extradition protests in 2019, the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund provides financial, medical, and psychological support to people arrested during pro-democracy demonstrations. The fund’s trustees include Joseph Zen (Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong), Margaret Ng (a barrister who was also a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong for 17 years), Cyd Ho (an activist for LGBT rights), and Denise Ho Wan See (a singer who is widely respected for her participation in social movements). The fund operates in a highly transparent manner and is non-political, representing all citizens of Hong Kong.

Stand With Hong Kong

Stand With Hong Kong is an advocacy organization that works to raise international support for the Hong Kong democracy movement. Their awareness campaigns take many forms, including organizing demonstrations in Hong Kong and around the world, generating publicity through op-eds and advertising, and lobbying international governments to put pressure on Beijing. 

How you can support freedom in Hong Kong

There are two main ways to contribute to our initiative.

1. If you’re in Hong Kong, just use Proton VPN

We will be donating 50% of all revenue from Hong Kong in both July and August. By getting a paid Proton VPN subscription, you will automatically be supporting freedom in Hong Kong, while also getting a VPN service which protects against government surveillance and allows you to access censored websites. 

Get Proton VPN

If you already have a Proton VPN account, any payments you make during this period will be included in the donation. This includes upgrades to the various paid versions of Proton VPN. To upgrade, log in to your account.

Log in

2. If you’re not in Hong Kong, make a donation on our website

For those not in Hong Kong or who do not wish to use Proton VPN, you can still make a difference.

In July and August, we will add 100% of contributions from our donations page toward our Hong Kong initiative. 

Donate

About Proton’s mission

We believe everyone should have access to a free and private Internet. Unfortunately, this is not the default around the world. From the United States and Europe to authoritarian states like China, governments are constantly working to undermine online privacy and security. Meanwhile, big tech monopolies enable state surveillance and censorship while enriching themselves.

Proton builds tools to protect online freedom and return control to the people. Since being founded by scientists who met at CERN in 2014, Proton Mail has helped over 20 million people easily secure their email communications with end-to-end encryption

Then in 2017, after recognizing the need for more trustworthy privacy and anti-censorship tools, we launched Proton VPN, which protects Internet activity from surveillance and helps unblock censored content. Like Proton Mail, Proton VPN is fully open source and available to all citizens worldwide.

We created Proton VPN and Proton Mail to defend fundamental rights: democracy, privacy, and freedom of speech. The citizens of Hong Kong deserve the same freedom to exercise these rights as anyone else in the world. Proton has an office in Taiwan so we feel great solidarity with our users in Hong Kong, and a duty to help uphold our shared values. You have long supported us, and now it is our turn to return the favor. Together, we can build a better future.

Andy is a founder of Proton, the company behind Proton VPN and Proton Mail. He is a long time advocate of privacy rights and has spoken at TED, SXSW, and the Asian Investigative Journalism Conference about online privacy issues. Previously, Andy was a research scientist at CERN and has a PhD in Particle Physics from Harvard University. You can watch his TED talk online to learn more about our mission.

162 comments

  1. Quach Hung Phong

    You should remind these people to not endanger China before highlighting the “democracy” with “speech freedom” otherwise you people will be like promoting the freedom of Anti-China and to remember about the murder of Amber Poon Hiu-wing.
    I just want to ask two questions: Do these people really fight against China or not? If not, you just need to speak that the law is not for the national interest at all. But I really confirm with honor and proofs from true experiencers and people with true conscience that they actually do and the law is for preventing the extreme freedom to ruin nations like China like it almost ruined the native Africa nations and completely made the native America nations to be extinct. Do you respect China’s security? If so, you’re supposed to just guiding the Chinese government to verify that their national security law is only to get anti-China “activists” out of affecting the world instead of opposing the entire country and its government and the Amber as well, who was the main circumstance of the “extradition law” along with the determination to prevent Hong Kong being “fugitive’s paradise”(Wang Xiaohui, China.org.cn) and the protest against it which then got abused to agitate people to destroy and beat any building and people just for being even a little China-supportive let alone China-related. If all this post’s thesis were proven to be wrong once after all objectively unbiased journalists experienced China and Hong Kong, I will admit the guilty of spread and firm the fake news.
    By the way I had a quote: “The real conscienceous people cannot tolerate the freedom to make the world to evolve reversedly.”

  2. real hong kong yan

    thanks a lot for doing more damage to hong kong

  3. Winnie the Pooh

    I live in Hong-Kong. A huge thank you Protonmail for your support! I recommend readers to take a look at “Hong Kong Free Press” website for the truth about what happens over here.

    Typical Chinese propaganda comments below.. CCP narrative of conflating China, the corrupt government CCP and its citizens who for the great majority are held hostage by a tyrannical unelected minority. Dissent is severely punished in China. I laugh at these comments referring to freedom of speech when we all know there’s no such thing under the Chinese Communist Party. Human rights? Forget it. What is happening in HK is atrocious, from the arbitrary National Security Law, the abusive Hong-Kong Police Force that day to day resembles a private militia, to the crackdown on pro-democracy legislators; all the signs of the Chinese Communist Parti modus operandi. Textbook authoritarian government. It’s obvious to see Hong-Kong is no longer controlled by the HK government but by a handful of Beijing loyalist, Luo Huining to name just one of those muppets. Separation of power has ended in HK along with one-country-two-system.

    I will never understand why anyone would defend the Chinese Communist Party. Nobody wants to live under their control. Proof of this is that many CCP leaders/sympathisers hold a second passport to escape! Canadian, Australian, EU countries + UK and even US citizenship. Xi Jinping’s daughter studied at Harvard, Carrie Lam’s family is in the UK. Notice the pattern of these tyrants having a way out while exercising a tight grip on the population while no-one in the West has any desire to go and live under CCP rule. Go figure.

    It appears some of our friends below have forgotten the Sino-British Joint Declaration establishing one-country-two-system was registered at the United Nations and is to remain in place until 2047. The CCP have not honoured this agreement, they cannot be trusted. They now claim this declaration is a “historical document that no longer had any practical significance”. So much for that then. The Chinese Communist party is a major threat to the rest of the world, they are dangerous.

    #FightForFreedom
    #StandwithHongKong

  4. Brian

    I will switch to proton vpn soon. I already have a proton mail account. We must protect freedom everywhere!

  5. ProtonVPN User

    As a long time ProtonVPN user, it saddens me to see how the management of the company is taking advantage of highly politicized incidents in other countries to make a “feel good” campaign to rope new users and boost the company image. It’s clear what you are doing is a calculated PR stunt, taking the side most likely to attract new subscribers.

    IMHO, “democracy and freedom” comes from ProtonVPN being a neutral and objective provider that stands firm with its core values to protect its users from unwarranted state/corporate abuse, no matter which side of the political spectrum their users are on.

  6. Geo

    Thank you for standing with Hongkong people , to keep their tradition , freedom , natural rights.
    Checked the following comments . Some are obviously by “50 cents” . The fact is not complex :
    This is a war between the people who are human and a government who think the people as slaves .

  7. Celine

    I have to disagree with the stance taken by Proton. As usual we hear one side of the argument. The West’s. I try to see both sides.

  8. gary

    Support Hong Kong National Security Law. Fighting the rioters, the US and UK are interfering in the internal affairs of China and Hong Kong.
    I am very disappointed with this ProtonVPN campaign against China.

  9. YES

    I just switch to proton because of this. Shame to see such a vibrant country get destroyed

  10. G.L.

    *Using Proton PLUS to reply*
    Thanks for supporting Hong Kong!
    It will be even better to see this campaign to carry on til the day we see freedom and democracy thriving tin HK, please consider to extend it and let more HK people to know ProtonVPN and understanding how important of internet privacy is.

  11. HongKongers

    Appreciate Proton VPN to support freedom, democracy and HongKongers!!

    The HongKong protesters are protecting their home to stop invade from CCP. The HongKong government is not serving the HongKong people but serving the CCP in Beijing, the world is watching clearly about this.

    The HongKongers will not stop fighting for freedom and democracy!

  12. E

    President Xi will take care of Hong Kong. It is none of your business.

  13. A

    It’s very sad to see Proton take this stance. What we westerners think is authoritarianism, is what we actually have. We believe everything we’re told about China without actually researching ourselves or caring to know or talk to someone who lives there to find out with life is actually like there. “Stand with Hong Kong” is a pro-Trump movement. The U.S. supports armed police and rogue white supremacists with assault weapons arresting and killing peaceful unarmed protesters of color legally fighting for their most basic of human rights. They claim that protesting is an act of anti-patriotism and a criminal act. However, when it comes to armed violent Hong Kong protesters attacking unarmed police officers and innocent bystanders in the name of wanting their racist, classist, exploitative capitalism back, they are all for it. I love Protonmail, but its sad to see that one of the few times they take a political stance it’s to support idealogies and a movement that directly come from racism, classism, and fascism. Andrew, I hope you’re able to think critically about what is going on in China right now and contemplate if the sources you’re getting your ideas and information from actually align with your and Protonmail’s values.

  14. HKTAZ

    Hey Proton, Hong-Konger here. I’ve been using your mail services for years, it was encouraging to see my flag in the newsletter. I thought I’d drop by and say my thanks to your organization for taking action to fundraise and donate. We are glad to see you taking a stand with us.
    光復香港 時代革命

  15. Marco

    Thank you for Stand with Hong Kong!

  16. Sylvanix

    Now that no nation has the moral integrity to defend the brave people of Hong Kong, it’s some consolation that many individuals and even companies such as ProtonMail continue to advocate their cause. En solidarité avec Hong Kong!

  17. aerar

    Dear Protonmail,
    I hope you will allow this comment to be published, since you are defending the freedom of expression correct?
    You are raising money to support the riots in Hongkong. Please investigate and send someone to do proper research of what happened to people who fall under the hands of the Hongkong protesters. Also, you may also investigate the backgrounds of the protesters and what they are doing each day in the streets.
    And I am not a Chinese, nor from Hongkong, I am from the Philippines.
    By raising funds for Hongkong activists, you are aligning yourself with the Trump’s propaganda against China.
    Not a surprise though from westerners who will always fall from the lies by the US propaganda. I think you also believe the US report that Iraq has WMDs, and supported the invasion of Iraq.
    Thanks for knowing that ProtonMail is a political propaganda machine.
    I will close my free account later on.

  18. aerar

    Hi,
    As with any countries, the security law in Hongkong will prevent violent protesters from mauling people, murdering them, block airport operations and burning and looting.
    Like the author of osnews, it seems that protonmail has fall into the western political propaganda against China.

  19. Chinese

    All th Chinese already have the democracy and freedom.
    Why?
    Because i can use proton. So ban me to show me that i’m ‘not free’.
    Come on.

  20. David

    Ben, Andy, you are on the wrong side of this one, and Benedict has it right. Hong Kong is already free and continues to be so. I know; it’s my home. There was no reason behind the protests, and certainly no justification for the furious violence and intolerance unleashed by the minority of rioters.The concerns about Chinese interference were, until this July, mostly exaggerated and embellished. China kept to its side of the deal with Britain and the Hong Kong people. It is only since the violent rioting, and the failure of Hong Kong’s own government over 23 years to execute security legislation, that China has stepped in to impose the needed laws, which China is required to do under the terms of the deal with Britain. They are much stronger than Hong Kong would like, admittedly, but the Hong Kong government should have done its job and this would not then have happened. The last thing Hong Kong needs is ill-informed “freedom” financing from you or anyone else. If you come to Hong Kong and look with honest eyes you will see this is a free city with its own laws and its own government. Not as democratic as some, but sufficient to keep it free.

    Please don’t interfere in something you don’t understand. Leave Hong Kong to us – the Hong Kong people. Hint: we are not the rioters.

  21. Bri

    Stand with Hong Kong, but who stand with ancestors of Hong Kong, who sacrificed lives to save the nation during wars?
    Why Hong Kong is SAR, why it is not a province?
    Who give money to Hong Kong protesters? Is it really simply a human rights issue? Too young too naive.

  22. Kevin

    Thanks for your support & standing with Hong Kong.
    Hong Kong will be the berlin wall & we will witness the end of Darkness.
    ProtonVPN Rocks!!

  23. Alan T

    The whistleblower, Dr. Li Wen Liang from Wu Han died on Feb 7, he was 34. Before Li Wen Liang died, he told BBC “I think there should be more than one voice in a healthy society” Dr Li said.
    Wuhan police for reprimanding eight Wuhan citizens for “spreading rumours”
    Hong Kong police for reprimanding Hong Kong citizens for “rioting”
    Is Hong Kong now a healthy society?

  24. Redacted as Privacy right

    Do not let yourselves be mislead by false shepherds. Proton is doing this to fight for the peoples’ right to freedom.
    Proton will stand by the peoples against ANY oppressive government.

    Need proof? They have many blog posts as proof and this is just one of them:
    https://protonmail.com/blog/belarus-protests-2020/

  25. Damien

    Merci de votre action auprès de Hong Kong et de ses habitants pour maintenir la liberté. J’y ai vécu 4 ans et j’en garde un merveilleux souvenir.

  26. ioanna anagnostopoulou

    Important for international awareness! Sharing what is important news. Victory to Hong Kong! And so the rest of the world.

  27. WTF

    Obviously this company is using freedom and democracy for business gain. A service made for people who wants to break the law.

  28. RM

    I’m going to cancel my account with you. I can’t believe that your company has decided to support the RIOTERS who destroy and peace and economic environment in Hong Kong. I’m sad that you choose to take side with the rioters.

  29. Bogdan Cholakov

    Forza Hong Kong!

  30. John Smith

    Thank you proton mail, privacy is so important at this time, I stand with Hong Kong protestors, I stand against communism, I stand against state control and central planning, capitalism never failed, Individual autonomy is the best chance for peace and prosperity, Marx, Lenin, Stalin, trotsky, mao, Kim jung-Il, Kim jung-un and president xi are all idiots.

  31. Donated

    Hi,
    I submitted support & believe in the direction provided.
    I was surprised that the donation became HK $
    Seemed very odd

  32. rob

    You have gone far beyond your remit. Privacy and speech should be fundamental rights. Democracy is a priviledge. In a democracy, the majority rules, which means a certain portion of the minority will always be suppressed.
    Your premise for HK is incorrect. HK was never democratic, never free. For over 100 years, it was run by a brutal, colonial power, which gave no rights or freedoms to the HK people; it was a brutal apartheid state, ruled by foreigners. When HK returned to China, the process was a complete hand-over: it was not a treaty, as is falsely asserted by the USA. HK became an inalienable part of PRChina. PRChina instituted the Basic Law and established the SAR. SAR = Special Administrative Region: NOT Special Autonomous Region, as you imply. The SAR gave the people of HK basic freedoms they never had prior in all history: freedom of language, speech, assembly, education, trade, banking, press, currency, passports and limited suffrage to elect local administrators. HK self-administered all that was within the national border: PRChina administered and protected the national border. In short, the people of HK had all the freedoms of people everywhere, but one: universal suffrage.
    But the youths abused their freedoms, by turning peaceful protests into violent riots. Their true demands were of secession. No other country on earth would tolerate the demands and criminal actions of the rioters: actions leading to deaths and immolation of innocents. No other country would tolerate secession; secession occurs via revolution. No other country would tolerate the flying of flags of foreign powers to justify secession demands. Thus, the youths turned inter-territorial issues into extra-territorial. At no time did PRChina send troops into HK: in stark contrast to what the USA has committed against its own citizens for far less offence.
    PRChina has responded to the extra-territorial threat posed by the youths, which it is entirely justified to do as a sovereign nation, without dismantling the SAR. Contrary to your insinuations, the SAR remains intact with no prior Basic Law provision and no freedom repealed.
    By supporting riotous, secessionist youths, you are actually worsening the situation. repeat: HK is part of PRChina. Thus, you are attempting to tell China what to do, in China: you are disrespecting completely the Basic Law. This makes you no different from the colonialists; your support can easily lead to more bloodshed. The result of more bloodshed, riots, secession demands will be the inevitable; ever more restrictions by PRChina and the erosion of the SAR.
    So let’s turn the table. Suppose China funded a secessionist group of youths in your country, who caused riots and bloodshed, demanded secession, flew the China flag. Would you simply allow your country to be over-run by such youths? Or, would you act to counter such threat? If so, how would you act?

  33. Tim

    Andy Yen and Ben Wolford, I have to stand with Benedict on this. It is quite clear this effort IS political. Not to mention that it is a gross interference into the internal affairs of a sovereign nation and how it conducts its national security. It is an open secret that foreign organizations are sponsoring elements within Hong Kong residents to destabilize and undermine the government. First, ProtonVPN needs to define what its version of freedom mean? If it means freedom of speech for the right to anarchy then, that freedom is not what Hong Kong wants. Keep that freedom to yourselves. Hong Kong doesn’t need chaos nor western imperialism.

  34. Ayc

    Thank you for supporting Hong Kong. My family is using ProtonVPN.
    #Fight for Freedom
    #Stand with Hong Kong

  35. Glinux

    Support Hong Kong National Security Law. Fighting the rioters, the US and UK are interfering in the internal affairs of China and Hong Kong.
    I am very disappointed with this ProtonVPN campaign against China.

  36. Pear

    Thank you Proton! Fully appreciate your kindness and support to the HK people. Proud to subscribe your services!

  37. SphericalUmbra

    Stand with HK!
    They try to confuse people by saying the Proton is sided with the US government BUT they FAIL to REALIZE that Proton is sided with the people and will always be by their side against any government, regardless of whether it be the US, UK, or any other government there is.

    God bless your dedication to this cause Proton!

  38. Richard

    What is the purpose of this open internet if not to tell the truth, (or is it to publish fake narratives?)

    I am sorry, I couldn’t disagree more strongly. What are the “democratic freedoms” that you enjoy in HK? You have the freedom to save for 10 or more years so that you can finally buy one of the new apartment developments of 12 sq meter cubicles. If you are proud to raise your family in 12 sq meters why don’t you buy a Honda Jazz car and live in there, same size.

    Can you look at your history? You sweep so much under the rug that walking on the carpet is like climbing the Matterhorn. The politest way to say it is that HK is a “Tax Heaven” for 100’s of years. Really much worse in that money laundering capitals deal only with the worst elements of world wide organized crime. It is a criminal center supporting fraud and corruption world wide but especially ripping off the Chinese citizens. Now HK is a nest of 100,000’s of western spy ops preying on China. It is like an open running sore.

    London funnels $trillions of stolen tax revenues through its network of offshore (Cayman Island types) to the devastation of the third world. HK, the poster child of London is much much worse. Sure there are some nice businesses in HK. That’s what gangsters do with laundered money, they open a “nice business”.

    And look who is bringing forth this initiative? It is the Swiss Boys. Little Switzerland’s law abiding society is also built on its banking secrecy. Switzerland has facilitated crime and tax avoidance for generations. I know because during the 80’s I lived in Italy. I was a “bag man” for an Italian corporation, carrying cash across the border to deposit in their Swiss accounts. I even had my own little Swiss bank account. I thought that it was “Adventure”.

  39. Jean Young

    If you read the other comments left in this post, you will understand how much effort the tyrannical regime has installed in the internet to spread false information to break down the fabrics democracy. The tiny bit of remaining freedom in Hong Kong will not last long while the international community hesitate to act, calculating their own benefits. It is this selfishness that Communist China knows best how to exploit. That is why the Free World will fail Hong Kong, if not their own countries soon after. Hitler almost won like that. Communist China is a whole lot bigger, and more ambitious, and far, far more unscrupulous than Hitler.

  40. Citizen

    Thank you very much for defending privacy and freedom in Hong Kong, and indeed the whole world. I’ve been using and recommending ProtonMail and ProtonVPN to all of my friends and others who may be interested. Thanks for promotion the rights of individuals to be able to communicate, despite efforts of governments to hinder. May many people be encouraged and share this with those who most need it.

  41. Aurora

    @Ben Wolford You’ve misunderstood. In this cause, you guys supporting(working) for divide people into groups and harm to the country. Again, this doesn’t make any good for people.

    “online freedom, privacy, and free speech.”
    “specifically screened to be non-political, and taking a position for greater freedom”
    Dont use such sentences for promote your businesses in that way and otherhand support US/UK etc.

  42. Tom

    I am canceling my account, I just found out you guys are supporting the RIOTERS the people who want to destroy Hong Kong. It’s against my principle to use these services

  43. Stay Neutral

    By supporting a particular region, now Protonmail is considered not politically neutral. Next minute, we can’t use Protonmail in certain regions. Bad move.

  44. Remain Neutral

    Protonmail is a technology company. Stay away from politics!

  45. clayton bagwell

    My comments are not being posted. Is proton short of workers? Lots of people need jobs these days, even in the glorious free states of capitalism. I would bet even in HK. I have enjoyed Protonmail for several years and now with this political bent of Mr Yen I am being forced to re-think my choices. HK was scheduled by international agreement to return to China at a specific date. The British and U.S.imperialist masters know this, that their time was to run out. It was decent that China allowed so many years for the imperialist to clear their. The time has come, and now we have clear focus upon U.S. aggression toward China.

  46. Wei JinLing

    Proton Mail has made intangible principles tangible by putting their actions and their profit in support of Hong Kong – thank you. Benedict uses and ridicules those intangible principles while remaining comfortable probably in the US or EU.

  47. Eeth

    While all big tech platforms virtue signal about ongoing events in the US – they are completely silent about Hong Kong. Not much profit in criticizing China I guess…

    Thank you Proton.

  48. Muller

    TY

  49. Roberto

    Free Hong Kong.
    Bravi!

  50. Àngel

    Gracies per recolzar la democràcia i les llibertats.

  51. Ramon

    I am completely against my protonmail plus money going to “612 Humanitarian relief fund” and “Stand with Hong Kong” organizations.
    The financial contribution should be optional for each user, not an obligation. It is more democratic.

  52. Adwina

    Thank you!

  53. John Philips

    Should donate half of your revenue to the BLM movement too.

  54. Simon

    The technology must be agnostic. Do not go down the path of other big tech companies and overstep the limits, venturing into censorship based on political ideologies or decision about validity of perspectives. The need for privacy is needed the world over, ALL governments are TIRELESS in their quest to obtain access to ALL communications of ALL citizens.

  55. Jean-Claude Cousin

    Hong Kong EST la Chine, les trublions de la CIA SONT des envahisseurs. C’est tout.

  56. Dennis L

    Thank you for supporting civil liberties in Hong Kong.

  57. Antivírus

    For those who are só ashemed, I just ask, do you live in democracy? You at least, can vote? All of you? Women included? So, protonVpn is giving you a chance you to feel like that… That is it, is giving a way to all peaple to TALK, DISCUSS and FELL. Do you feel it, … Thanks to PROTONVPN, HK Will be always FREE CAPITAL OF GLOBALIZATION

  58. Joy

    Big respect to ProtonVPN. Thank you for standing with Hong Kong.

  59. Yours

    I appreciate your effort to support independent HK !

  60. Scott Lang

    Thank you very much for supporting HK! I really love the ProtonVPN’s idea of online privacy. I just found the article in my mailbox today and it was so encouraging to realize that it came from a VPN and email provider. It’s so good to see companies like ProtonVPN taking actions to support HK. God bless Hong Kong!!!

  61. Ricardo Torres

    You ser another puppet of US with the same old story abaout HK

  62. MCL

    More than ever, standing with Hong Kong is essential for everyone. Standing with Hong Kong is standing for freedom worldwide. There are no guarantees the freedom you have today will be available tomorrow. We need to respect it’s importance and the people fighting for it. Thank you ProtonVPN

  63. Karma

    I admire how you guys support HK they deserve freedom and justice, no more repression!

  64. Ming

    Thanks for supporting HK people. Keep doing the right thing, and don’t waver at nonsensical Chinese comments.

  65. OYHK

    Thank you for your support

  66. Brock Bone

    Thank You, Stand Up Now or Be Dragged Away Later.
    One Day They will come for you

  67. 天佑自由

    我来自大陆,自去年以来我一直关注香港的状况。
    616、721、831、爆眼女孩、新屋岭、众多无疑点自杀案、中大理大攻防战、区议会选举、立法会民主派初选等等,太多的事件一直萦绕在我的心头。最近不但取消了众多民主派人士的立法会参选资格,林郑也宣布立法会选举推迟一年。这正表现出来他们太害怕了,以至于不择手段到撕下自己最后的底裤以示流氓本色。而这些都是广大港人不断抗争的结果,也正是如此才能让国际社会看到中共的真面目。
    此时此刻,前有觉醒的国际力量追责,后有人为的国内灾难索命,中共已经开始了末日的疯狂,愿所有追求自由、民主、人权的人们都能平安渡过这黎明前最黑暗的时刻。
    光复香港、时代革命、愿荣光归中华

  68. jhun

    I stand with Hong Kong. It is part of China so it must be governed by China’s laws. No other nation should encroach on any other nation’s sovereignty.

  69. FA

    agree with Benedict

  70. Democracy

    光復香港 時代革命
    Restore Hong Kong, revolution of our times!

  71. Mark

    Thank you for standing up for freedom of speech.

  72. P

    Really cool of you guys to do this. Thanks!

  73. David

    This “support Hong Kong freedom democracy” thing is insane. Hong Kong is a part of China, period. As an American, I am sick and tired of our own state department, CIA, and large corporations working together to unsettle and steal control of Hong Kong away from its rightful country, China. Just knock this stupidity off.

  74. faraday

    Proton – incorrect and poorly considered business decision to become entangled in politics.

  75. Shepherd

    Outstanding, the struggle needs to continue !!!!!!

  76. Bill

    Hong Kong was guaranteed political, legal, and economic autonomy for 50 years, until at least 2047, under the “One China, Two Systems” framework. So much for that. Step by step the CCP has been crushing freedom in Hong Kong so the only thing that is left is a shell – where only candidates approved by Beijing are allowed to run for office and are always subject to abrupt removal from office if they offend Beijing. Thank you, ProtonMail, for making this brave stand for freedom.

  77. Joseph

    Hong Kong doesn’t need any kind of weaponized ‘help’ from VPN and email providers with good intention but little knowledge. Reading your comment, I hope Ben and Andy start to realise what a big can of worms this whole Hong Kong democracy issue has become and adopt a more neutral and non-interventionist stance, like their host country is so famous for (one of the few in the world). There’s a lot of sinophobic nonsense and virtue signalling out there, and most of it from folks who don’t know and don’t care.

  78. Joseph

    I don’t know where you take your information, but many Internationally-recognized NGOs have consistently placed Hong Kong amongst the freest place on earth since the handover in 1997; way ahead of the US and UK. The CATO Institute Human Freedom Index has ranked Hong Kong number one in 2015, 2016, number 2 in 2017, number 3 in 2018 and 2019—and yes, that includes political freedom. The truth is that we have only lost our freedoms at the hand of the fake ‘freedom fighters’ supported by the US State department and the UK Foreign Office. If it wasn’t for the harrowing violence these forces have brought upon us in 2019, Beijing would never have forced a NSL on the city. The extradition law was just the pretext they needed to instigate the violence in 2019, as part of the planned and ongoing trade war and destabilisation campaign against China. You should perhaps think twice before supporting 612 HRF and SWHK, they may not be as innocent as they profess.

  79. Anonymous

    CCP is falling every day.

  80. Chann

    Respectful act …

  81. Petra

    We must defend democracy, we must defend our values, we must stand with Hongkong. Hats off Proton!

  82. HKPeace

    What a way to get rid of money!

  83. Wilf

    The elites in China must regain the old wisdom of Lao Tzu and Confucius that they have lost, or they’ll lose their youth unless they uphold the universal ideals of benevolence, sympathy, justice, etc.
    Parts of Western society may be materialistic and self-interested – and self-destructive – but the tide is turning and our young people now value these ideals more than ever before, besides which this is said to be “the age of the common man” (Theosophy).
    A Q for the moderators, if this is a free forum and if anyone can post – if so how what’s your position on political trolling?
    Keep up your great work preserving freedom and liberty for the many.

  84. doctor democrat

    Well done Proton !

  85. Real HongKonger

    You are completely ill-informed if you believe you are supporting online freedom, privacy and freedom of speech by donating to the so-called “civil rights” organizations in Hong Kong. In fact, you are doing the exact opposite. The rioters these “civil rights” organizations are supporting have been silencing any dissenters using extreme violence and privacy invasion, methods that are way worse than any “authoritarian” or “surveillance” states and more akin to the modus operandi of terrorist groups. If you do not agree to their ideals or methods, they will beat you close to death and expose the personal information of you and your family online. I have been living in Hong Kong for 30 years and never have I felt my freedom being taken away until these rioters showed up. Many people can no longer express themselves freely for fear of being targeted by this violent group. I am pleading ProtonVPN to cease funding 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund and Stand With Hong Kong immediately, stop interfering with Hong Kong’s internal affairs and stop taking away the freedom of Hong Kong freedom.

  86. ALPAS

    Andy and all Proton users,
    Thank you so much for voicing out and supporting Hong Kong. We have always been terrified our communications would be monitored, including our VPN data usage. Proton services are an assurance to us and we are very thankful that you voiced out, even though the pressure from you-know-who must be strong.
    It’s so important for tech companies to play their role in defending freedom and privacy.

  87. doctor democrat

    It is absolutely essential for the world to stand up against this tyrannical and totalitarian government in China, and to start now. Hong Kong is a warning to us all about what the Chinese government will do everywhere it gets control. Well done Protonmail ! One criticism: your blog does not say why Hong Kong has been a Special Administrative Region since 1997 and why Hong Kong has enjoyed liberty and the rule of law – until now. It is because Hong Kong was for 150 years a British colony where the Rule of Law in the English tradition was established and maintained. Freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong did not start in 1997 – that year saw China take back Hong Kong from the British. That’s when the problem began.

  88. Pedro

    as they defend democracy and freedom, I assume that next they will unconditionally help Palestine

  89. KT

    Great to see a tech company showing solidarity with the brave freedom protesters of HK. While many others only pay lip service to ‘innovation’, ‘freedom of speech’, in public but quietly kowtow to China’s dictum and betray their principles when the CCP bully threatens their wallet. Proud to use Proton.

  90. alvint

    As a Hongkonger and a ProtonMail user, I am strongly against this campaign. Such act does nothing to defend freedom but to support violence. I agree that freedom and privacy should be protected. But do you really know what organisations are you supporting? These so-called ‘pro-democracy’ fighters are the ones who damage Hong Kong. They are the ones who attack civilians and damage shops.
    With reference to the website of standwithhk, the objectives of the campaigns ARE political. Advocating freedom has nothing to do with wrecking shopping malls and MTR stations.
    ‘Orwellian censorship, warrantless searches, secret trials against political prisoners, coerced confessions, and even torture.’ What ‘torture’ are you refering to? The National Security Law protects us from fear. Have you all listened to the opinions of both sides? (I do.)
    I support freedom, hence I’m against rioters. Very disappointed about this campaign.

  91. Black Panther

    I stand with the people of Hong Kong to defend their civil rights.

  92. Salazar

    We stand with Hong Kong and fight for democracy!

  93. Will

    This is so important, the next generation needs to learn about how precious freedom is and how tyrants are always lurking to snatch it away. Education about all the atrocities promulgated by the Communist regime in China will be the best way to wake young people in Western countries up from this falsehood they have been taught about the paradise known as communism.

  94. Andrew Carstensen

    I finally found a company that is brave enough to stand up for what is right. Thank you ProtonVPN.

  95. Thatbitch

    I think it’s about time I ditched Protonmail … good-bye.

  96. Cam O’Byrne

    Out of interest, as Proton Mail cares so much about censorship and freedom of speech, what is Proton Mail’s position on the persecution of Julian Assange, the journalist and publisher who has done more than any other to practically promote both in my lifetime?

    Will Proton Mail be starting a fund for the support of Julian Assange and seeking his release?

    Julian Assange is being held without bail in a maximum security prison for terrorists in the UK on behalf of a US extradition request and after many years of persecution. The legal distortions, lies and tricks used against him are many. His crime? Speaking the truth – no one has ever shown or even claimed that Wikileaks ever published anything that was untrue. Fake accusations, abuse of international law and domestic law. Law used as a weapon, not for justice. If extradited to the US he faces life in prison or the death penalty as there is no guarantee more charges will not be laid and he could be tried in a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay. I haven’t seen any statements from PM about the case of Chelsea Manning? Did I miss something?

    Again, very foolish for Proton Mail to become embroiled in these issues. You have lost my trust and I am sure many others now wonder whom you have relationships with that could compromise service security. Sad.

  97. Cam O’Byrne

    Proton Mail supporting a US intelligence orchestrated attempted color revolution in HK worries me.

    Are Proton Mail simply naive and believe western propaganda?
    Or are they connected to US intelligence allowing NSA a backdoor into their services?

    The version of events they present re HK is just that – a VERSION. It happens to be the CIA mainstream Western media version. Why would I trust that? Why does Proton Mail trust that?

    Do they really support “protesters” (actually rioters) that set fire to other HK citizens? People that use violence to destabilise a prosperous society? Saying they “support democracy” sounds great but the reality is there is no actual democracy anywhere. Some States just pretend more and louder than others. If you really care about democracy then do something IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY where you possibly can make a difference, not in another country you are not responsible for.

    If Proton Mail are smart they will not upset many customers and create suspicion about their own services by staying out of politics. Until I saw this I did not doubt there commitment to security – very foolish action. Now I have placed a big question mark over Proton Mail’s integrity.

  98. Takei

    Democracy and Freedom?
    Stop kidding me please
    I’m so sad to see Proton is supporting HK terrorists

  99. Dave V

    You’re being very naive and playing into the hands of the same forces that will end any sense of freedom on the internet.

  100. paseri.K

    I’m sorry in poor English.
    I am a Japanese high school student.China is a country is next door to japan, but it has no democracy.
    There was no freedom of speech in Japan during the war
    However, we, the generations living in the 21st century, naturally have freedom of speech.I think I finally understood how wonderful it was.The use of the internet in this way is also due to democracy and freedom of speech.As a generation living in a new era , I think we have a responsibility to protect freedom and democracy.
    Freedom for all people.
    I hope this is eternal.

  101. Bazlian

    I think if someone was sitting on your tail every day and you know it is not going to stop you may be entitled to get angry from time to time. But this is how it is – do you accept it? No-! so the struggle goes on.
    Hong Kong, like Taiwan and South Korea are geographically sensitive. Since 1949 New China has had this kind of problem and they know what they are up against when it comes to fighting the western mass media machine.
    Consider ——– if you are the leader of China – are you going to wait until the very first day (July 1st 2047) before implementing Chinese Laws? China has Sovereign Responsibilities – it can`t carry them out under two systems. No country can. Especially when every nuisance wants to sit on your tail.

  102. Patricia Jackson

    I am pleased to be a supporter of Proton Tech and its amazing products and especially pleased to learn of their support for Hong Kong people. As an Australian, I am pleased that our government has also offered support to the people of Hong Kong with the introduction of a new Visa policy. Good luck to all and keep up the fight!

  103. pf

    Thank you for what you’ve created and the support for Hong Kong.

    On a side note. Cool image with the Proton logo and the flag of Hong Kong. You should produce some hats with the image.

  104. Chicken

    They damaged Hong Kong’s image? You’re disgusting. Protesting always, without exception, is the true measure of “good image”. You don’t get to decide what’s “good for the people”. Who are “the people”? You love to use that term. “The people”. The people hate you. Your government is a vile, disgusting entity who live like kings while murdering, lying, torturing, cutting babies from wombs, cutting organs from humans for themselves. No one. Not one person, other than evil narcissistic monsters like China’s government & clearly you, is in favor of this evil. When you speak of “image”, what you’re really talking about is how someone damages your ability to “lie”. We know what you are. I pray for the day we can liberate Hong Kong Completely and bring human dignity to the good people persecuted by the disgusting Chinese Government – every member of whom should be gutted.

    Proton, thank you for what you bring to human dignity.

  105. KH

    Tremendous initiative ! Thank you.

  106. Peter

    Dear Mr Benedict,
    Please get the book ” In The Jaws Of The Dragon” and see what China is doing to the world.
    With lots of patience they are buying more and more strategic points in the world.
    Knowing that they are NOT able to fight Islam, they are doing it with money.
    Panama canal entrance, harbour in Darwin, Melbourne Sri Lanca to name a few.
    Building artificial islands in the South China sea ( why do you think they are doing just that?)
    Giving big loans to pacific Island nations. Why would they do that?
    I am sure, you are a nice man, but you still have to learn a lot.
    Regards Peter

  107. Alternative Aimes

    This. ❤️

  108. Internet Freedom

    @Benedict
    Yes, what some hongkong protestors did already qualified to be classified as terrorists under United Nation’s definition of terrorism. You are right too that one person one vote democracy is failing in many places. But any government without accountable mandate of citizens has no legitimacy. So what system do you propose? Freedom of Internet access without content censoring firewall is a basic rights the young generation across the world expect. ProtonVPN is helping to achieve this and the mission itself has nothing to do with protestors or democracy.

  109. Silence is submission

    I was a free user of ProtonMail for one year to try the service while continuing to use Yahoo email as I had for almost 20 years. Then it became known Yahoo was spying on user email. I immediately cancelled my Yahoo Mail account and haven’t used their email or even viewed any of their web pages since. I have been a paid member of ProtonMail and VPN for 2.5 years. I use ProtonVPN 100% the time for my laptop and android phone, even while using my own home wifi.

    I have found ProtonVPN makes the data connection speed to slow for my phone when streaming Pandora music with bluetooth while driving, that is the only time I turn off the VPN on my phone. I also don’t use Gmail and have a “Google account” for my android phone that allows any email address to be used for the Google account.

    Unfortunately, I don’t have money to donate at this time, hopefully I can donate in August 2020. As a freedom loving, natural born United States citizen I stand with Hong Kong and their fight for freedom 100%!

  110. Paul Z

    I’d be more impressed if you stood against the Hong Kong rioters than for them. The amount of anti-Chinese propaganda these days is unreal. I wonder who benefits.

  111. A US citizen

    You and millions of people got it so wrong, extremely wrong and cannot be more wrong. From the grand view of the history of HKG, China and UK, to the details of those riots and extreme vandalism and violence by most of the younger HongKongers, CHINA has every right just like UK, US and anywhere else to have the national security law setup. HK belongs to China, and please everybody repeat after me, it is belong to China, it has always been this way except that 150 years got stolen by the horrible colonial white supremacists forcing China to buy opium to get their tea to sell… USA was part of it too at every single port on all the rivers in China at that point, to just take and take from Chinese who was a self-provide with extrmemly sufficicated culture at the time comparing to the west… The British ruined it for China, gave China a 100 years of humiliation… Now china is back on its feet, and the media and the west bombarding China with every little lies, from thousands of people got killed in Tianamen Square to China govt is an evil govt… You know who is more evil, USA is the most evil and the UK… UK killed millions in the last 100 years… after WWII UK killed 300K Kenyans, Colionialized India, prevent india to catch up in civilization, the reason why India still doesnt have a sewage system was because of the Brits, Killed so many chinese and other south east asians… YET NEVER APOLOGIZE… They have the audacity to ask China to give HKers voting right? 150 yrs of colonialism, never gave any voting rights to HK, they sent the governor whoever they wanted… at least now, HKers can vote between a few choices of their own… HK never lost any freedom, the only freedom they are losing is freedom to destroy a beautifull city, the freedom to waste all the hard earn reserved savings from previous generation, and the freedom to ruin the reputation of Chinese and HK people from previous generation. Stop the press and US govt, stop them being a bully, research on what really goes on before you tweet and support those US-backed HK rioters…. In history book, all of you will be recorded as the wrong side of the game… pretending freedom fighters but actually suppressing a new social system that could work better in a larger scale country, which USA is so threatened by it and scared to lose its control, I meant they have lost already…. mark my words.

  112. Wap

    Thank you!

  113. Robert Ingraham

    I have a fundamental problem with this posting. I believe strongly in national sovereignty, and if nations want to censor web content within their nations, e.g., to block pornography, violence, pro-narcotics content, etc., they have every right to do so. On the other hand, what we see in the practices of the NSA, GCHQ, Google, etc. is the escalating imposition of surveillance practices, as Snowdon and others have pointed to. Combine that with Google and Twitter’s practices of banning political views they disagree with, and you have a real life Orwellian paradigm: a true surveillance state and the elimination of free speech. I am not saying that China is not guilty of these practices, but the much, much greater threat comes from the intelligence agencies and Silicon Valley.

  114. 刘明楷

    作为身在海外的中国人,我希望香港挺住,永远不要向中共所屈服。中共政权绑架了14亿中国人民,用庞大的中国市场使全世界追逐利益的公司屈服,成为其加强专制的一部分。
    As a Chinese citizen overseas, I hope that Hong Kong will stand firm and never give in to the CCP. The Chinese Communist regime has kidnapped 1.4 billion Chinese people and used the huge Chinese market to subjugate profit-seeking companies around the world as part of its efforts to strengthen its dictatorship.

  115. V@GOS

    thx proton for choice for freedom in Hong Kong privacy / encourage act and fight in free speech.

  116. Ysh Cabana

    Hi Andy,
    Thank you for your important message. As you may know, the Philippines is facing a similar situation to what is happening in Hong Kong. The formal signing of President Rodrigo Duterte on the Anti-Terrorism Law on 3 July 2020 establishes and enables a council to designate individuals and groups as terrorists, legitimises detainment of up to 24 days without warrant or charge, authorises police and military to impose and extend surveillance, and removes the legal clauses to automatically compensate for wrongful detention.

    This keeps fear among the the public, experts and organisations, both local and international, over arbitrary arrests and violation of civil liberties arising from the law are constantly disregarded. In hindsight, there are close to 30,000 extrajudicial killings during the presidency of Duterte that gives a hint to the potential abuse of the unjust legislation for merely political purposes. A petition case has been filed by numerous human rights advocates and trade unions in court to review on the Anti-Terrorism Act.

    Concerns over deprivation of civil rights for consolidating national security is shared by the civil society of Hong Kong in solidarity. I hope this platform will also help us defend democracy and freedom in the Philippines.

    SIncerely,
    Ysh

  117. François Leyder

    Those of us old enough remember when the internet was seen as a way for all people everywhere to be able to access information from anywhere. Today, governments place restrictions, but corporations do as well. We all know content from home that can’t be accessed when we travel. Use a VPN!

  118. JH

    I see that people are reacting with emotion rather than facts. So sad. Everyone needs to be wary of news and comments coming from some news organization these days. Where the virus comes from is still a mystery. Pointing figures to any one particular country or party does not help. It may make one feels good but only makes people more divided.

  119. Tjalfe

    I wish for a peaceful future for Hong Kong.
    Hong Kong is Chinese and will be a fully integrated territory by 2047. These people are fighting a losing battle, even if you do support their cause.
    Increased tensions with China is not beneficial to anyone. A new cold war will be harmful to everyone, maybe with the exception of Trump and his reelection campaign.

  120. Ueli Tschupp-Lambert

    I love what you are doing for Hong Kong!
    It was my home since 1971 and what has happened in the last couple of years was heartbreaking. My home is being stripped of everything that has made it so special!!
    Keep up the great work guys!! 👍🙏
    Ueli

  121. O

    Hong Kong : Your heart is still alive! Use the body to remain aware of it, do not pollute it. Listen to your breathng every single day. The heart is the only organ capable to keep a system alive, working, on its own. The roots of your wisdom are deep! They are waiting for you to realign to their power were numbers do not exist.
    Some have adopted their new status forced by the same kind, all completely unaware of it May their computers palls guide them back among us.
    ProtonVPN the oxygen you bring to the sky fills our hearts which are still predominant on this planet! All the living hearts who brought You out!

  122. Chris

    I use proton mail and have had my eye on proton VPN for a couple weeks now. I just made up my mind. I support what proton is doing 100%.

  123. Martin Fedler

    Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
    thank you so much for your activities supporting the people of Hong Kong !!!
    I am deeply shocked and in deep fear by the illegal and actually criminal actions of the
    government of the people`s republic of China. We will see in quite near future there
    are strict sunctions to be taken against these criminals including a worldwide isolation, politically
    and economically.
    Take care and keep going on like you do !

    Best regards
    Martin Fedler

  124. Donald E Buchwalter

    I was going to buy until I read this. I will not support any product or organisation that attempts to interfere in China’s right to rule its own territory. And I will not support the HK terrorists.

  125. KN

    this is really ridiculous what are you talking about defending Hong Kong.
    Against the US you mean.

    Hong Kong is China’s territory and has its autonomy. But its normal to have a security law in place, just like other places.

    you send political mails without doing proper research and into the stuff.

    This is really ridiculous.
    Dont think people are brainless chickens.

  126. Max

    It is great to know that my favorite email provider stands in the right side! Stand with Hong Kong!

  127. Stand with Hong Kong

    Great to hear that! Thank you

  128. Kic

    I stand in support of any and all fighting for freedom and the Democratic way of life. We are all created equally in the image and likeness of GOD our creator!

  129. Joseph Pagano Jr

    I stand in support of any and all fighting for freedom and the Democratic way of life. We are all created equally in the image and likeness of GOD our creator!

  130. alysia

    Thankyou. We all need to help our fellow human as much as we possibly can from Tyranny. Unfortunately l have no money atm and possibly no home soon either. I pray all the time for all brothers and sisters in these dark times and lm learning from Communitylaw courts how we can protect ourselves and others. Liberty is also a good charity. The rabbit Warren’s are very deep. God bless you all.

  131. Charlotte

    I am happy to be able to go back to HK soon. Without hooligans threatening me.
    Democracy and human rights are in within me and not in the streets.
    I love HK and China.

  132. Sav

    Don’t forget about 200000+ cases of human rights violations daily. Where the Uighur muslims about 80000 of them being held in prison camp for being “subversive” to the Chinese government officials. Anyone that speaks out about it gets censored or this news is not picked here in the USA because a lot of the news media outlets are China friendly. Only 1 TV media outlet in America speaks out about Dictator Xi and are promoting “Free Hong Kong” shirts. That is Fox News. Outside of the BBC America news channels. Now that channel has disappeared from my TV lineup from Google. I DON’T THINKING THAT IS COINCIDENCE. Speak out against Google because the Indian CEO has forgotten where he came from, I cannot find News on what happened during the clash between India and China. Where China claim that NE part of India belongs to them. They are trying to link up with Iran, N. KOREA and Russia. We might have the makings of WW3. But this might be a Nuclear one.

  133. Huen

    Respect, Mr. Yen. Thank you for standing with Hong Kong.

  134. JustCurious

    I have never used any VPN. Just curious why those people keep spreading the fear/threat of China and try to use HK story for commercial/political gains.
    If you use the internet NORMALLY including browsing Por*hub website etc., I don’t think you will breach the Security Law (or any law) by any chance. So it’s a bit doubtful what their real intention are to use the VPN (murders? drug-dealers? spy?)

  135. Sam

    The leaders of China who have left their youth behind, have a lot to answer for in how many young lives they are destroying in Hong Kong—for it’s the youth of Hong Kong who have lead this fight. All the people of Hong Kong have impressed me extraordinarily with their dogged fight for democracy.
    Thank you, Proton, for supporting democracy in Hong Kong.

  136. Utopiadreamer

    Thank you for protonmail and protonvpn to stand with Hong Kong.

  137. Utopiadreamer

    Thank you :ProtonMail and ProtonVPN to stand with Hong Kong!

  138. To Comrade Benedict

    I agree with you Comrade Benedict, people in Hong Kong are like those protesters massacred by tanks in Tianmen Square demanding freedom of speech and free press and the right to vote, all those things that are bad for us and the elites, nobody should be allowed to vote or decide anything, this is why we have reeducations camps in Xinjiang so that people do not get Western ideas, this help fund to Hong Kong is not going to be useful to the Chinese ruling class, therefore, it should be stopped or else.

  139. JB

    To stand with Hong Kong you also have to boycott China and their dictatorship spreading over the World.

  140. Sang Yu Kin

    Fight for freedom!
    Stand with Hong Kong!
    Hong Kong Independent!

  141. Apple Tsoi

    Stand with HK

  142. Archimedes Layton

    Props to Proton Technologies for supporting Hong Kong in its most desperate time of need. Access to the internet free from state censorship should be a global statutory right and it’s incredibly harrowing to see that we’re still having to fight so fervently for such basic entitlements in 2020.

  143. YL

    Support Hong Kong national security law. Fight against rioters, US and UK interfere of China and Hong Kong internal affairs. Will never use, and will tell all my friends not to use ProtonVPN. Will also encourage others to use other VPN as ProtonVPN will steal information for US FBI and CIA.

  144. Benedict

    Such typical ideology nonsense. Do you know what those protesters did? They have damaged normal life of HongKong’s people, and HongKong’s international image. They did not understand what is good for the ppl. They are simply misled by western ideology nonsense. There are many kinds of democracy in the world, and if you look at the whole world, the so called one-person-one-vote democracy has largely failed or is failing right now. You are not supporting good, rather you just support an so-called-democracy that is so naive and incompetent. I feel ashamed that as a tech company you turn such a blind eye to facts.

  145. Ben Wolford

    Our consistent position is that there should be online freedom, privacy, and free speech. The organizations we have selected to support have been specifically screened to be non-political, and taking a position for greater freedom should not be considered taking a political position.

  146. Raymond

    Respectful act, Thank you for support and stand with Hong Kong especially in this difficult time.

  147. Black cat

    Thank you so much for all the things securing and protecting the rights of HK! It really moves me and may god bless you all!

  148. Roy Xavier

    Thanks for supporting Hongkongers

  149. Keyboard

    So if someone not in Hong Kong gets the vpn, 50% of their payments won’t go to help the cause, only donations will?

  150. Ben Wolford

    Thanks for the question. If someone in Hong Kong gets a paid ProtonVPN account, 50% of their payment during July and August 2020 will go to help these organizations. For donations made to https://protonmail.com/donate, 100% of those contributions will go to the cause.

  151. KC

    Thank you ProtonVPN and ProtonMail for standing up and defending the fading freedom in Hong Kong! Not many companies would like to stand up for Hong Kong as they worry about losing their RMB customers! Honestly, it is not just the problem in Hong Kong but CCP is a problem for the entire world. Look at the Covid-19 pandemic! Huge number of Covid-19 deaths recorded in Italy as well! The China government has never ever thought about taking the responsibility! Besides, the CCP propaganda previously claimed Italy where the virus comes from. I am very disappointed when China treated his “alliance “ in this way. Europe does deserve a better alliance, other than China. I feel completely betrayed.

    Wake up, the world! Stop letting a gangster to stab your back without paying any cost!

  152. Meryl Botkin

    I want to stand with the people of Hong Kong to defend their civil rights.

  153. Tim Ng

    Thank you for standing with Hong Kong!

  154. Abby Law

    I have been portonvpn plus user for a year since July 2019. I found that the servers speeds are quite slow in the past few months. I love the service and love the security policy, but the speed is not that competitive with the other popular VPN.

    Anyway, thanks for support and stand for Hong Kong.

  155. Ben Wolford

    Hi Abby, thanks for your support and I’m sorry you’ve been having speed issues. Please reach out to our support team, and they may be able to help you out: https://protonvpn.com/support-form

  156. Free HK

    Thank you for standing with Hong Kong!

  157. S

    Thank you for supporting Hongkongers.
    #Fightforfreedom
    #StandwithHongKong

  158. HKer

    Thank you for standing with Hong Kong!

  159. Kelvin

    I am already the user of your VPN product. thank you so much for standing with Hong Kong and the free world.

  160. Tiffany

    Thank you so much. Stand with HK.

  161. Ricky Fung

    Thank you so much for standing with HK! Will be switching to Proton :)

  162. SH

    Thank you!

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Version: OpenPGP.js v4.10.10
Comment: https://openpgpjs.org

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=ueTT
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

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