Why we signed the Privacy Pledge

Building a private internet cannot be done in isolation. It takes a community of innovators and activists, working together, committing themselves — and encouraging others — to rebuilding the internet based on the ideals set out by its founders: a democratic platform designed to facilitate the free exchange of information, open communication, and privacy for the individual

mojeek

“I believe online privacy is a fundamental right that cannot be taken for granted anymore. It was time to offer services fully dedicated to email privacy. Some say that we must sacrifice privacy for security. But they are not to be opposed: security guarantees privacy, and privacy guarantees security.” - Patrick De Schutter, co-founder of Mailfence

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mojeek

“Web search is vital, and possible without Google and Microsoft involved. So privacy-washing is ramping up, because unlike Mojeek they still want to track or fingerprint you. Big Tech is addicted to your personal data and their AIs. But people are getting smarter too, and so the paradigm shift is to innovators that both advocate for, and practice, the principles of this #PrivacyPledge.” – Colin Hayhurst, CEO

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neeva

"For too long, Big Tech has exploited consumer data, abused market share, taxed small businesses, and stifled competition to remain the most powerful gatekeepers to our entire online experience. The ‘free’ internet model has come at a steep price; we pay for it with our attention and our privacy. Consumers deserve greater choice in services that put user privacy first." – Sridhar Ramaswamy, CEO and Co-Founder

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open-media

“OpenMedia is committed to the privacy pledge. We work together with our community to stand up for privacy and to create an Internet that puts people first. Right now, we're campaigning to stop the harvest of our sensitive personal information online. Visit OpenMedia.org to learn more and take action with us.” – Matt Hatfield, Campaigns Director

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open-xchange

"Open-Xchange believes that privacy is a fundamental right for all users of communication services. As a result, we focus on delivering secure products and services that support privacy. Our products do not collect information that users don't want to share and we do not sell any data to third parties." – Frank Hoberg, Co-Founder

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proton_default

“The internet no longer works in the interest of the people. Giant corporations routinely monetize our private lives while trying to sell us a false commitment to protect our privacy. But there is another way. Companies, like those that have signed this pledge, are putting forward a private alternative to the status quo. By holding ourselves to higher ideals, we believe we can set an example to other innovators and offer users genuine privacy. By working together, we can return the internet to what it was supposed to be.” - Andy Yen, Founder and CEO, Proton

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threema

“Most internet users are still unaware of the extent to which Big Tech exploits their personal data. In real life, people wouldn’t be willing to sacrifice their privacy just to use a service for free. On the internet, however, the violation of one’s privacy isn’t as obvious, and tech corporations can hide their practices behind incomprehensible privacy policies. It’s time for companies that respect privacy to take a stand, which is why we have signed this pledge.” – Martin Blatter, CEO

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tor

“The Tor Project is proud to sign the Privacy Pledge. Now is a critical time to stand up to Big Tech and its business model of surveillance capitalism. The argument that tools must collect data in order to be useful, usable, and profitable is simply false. At The Tor Project, we build technology used by millions of people to stay private and anonymous online every day. We know from experience that it's possible to create respectful, privacy-by-design tools that people can depend on. Together, we can build a better internet.” – The Tor Project

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tutanota

"In today's Internet, people sign away their right to privacy by agreeing to unread Terms and clicking away privacy warnings. The reason for this is simple: We have learned that that’s just how the Internet works. We were trained to hate clicks. We were trained to hate reading Terms. But Big Tech uses this attitude against us. The internet we have today is quick, easy - and the enemy to all things private. This is why we have launched the Privacy Pledge along with other privacy-first companies. Because a better Internet is possible." - Arne Möhle, CEO of Tutanota

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