Proton users cancel subscriptions following CEO Andy Yen’s “loser thinking” remarks
“We don’t want another Google or Microsoft.”
Image by Stifterverband via Wikipedia/Illustration by Cybernews
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- Proton users say they canceled subscriptions after 404 Media reported CEO Andy Yen pushed faster AI-assisted coding.
- The report cites interviews with 8 current and 1 former employee, plus internal Slack chats and recordings.
- Yen reportedly called delaying code for security testing “bullshit and loser thinking,” sparking user anger.
- Some users have called for Yen to resign, arguing Proton risks losing its privacy-focused reputation.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Users of Proton services report canceling their subscriptions following damning coverage by 404 Media, which suggests that the company’s CEO, Andy Yen, pushes AI use despite security concerns.
The exclusive report, based on interviews with 8 current and 1 former Proton employees and a review of Slack chats, meeting recordings, and the firm’s AI manifesto, resulted in a major PR crisis for the Swiss company behind ProtonMail and other privacy tools.
After an employee suggested taking at least a few days to pentest newly written code before pushing it live, Yen reportedly responded by calling the idea “bullshit and loser thinking,” saying it is possible to both be fast and secure.
Yen, a former CERN particle physicist, allegedly told the team to “stop lovingly handcrafting all our code and use AI more,” according to 404 Media.
The publication sparked a backlash on Reddit, with users publicly announcing their departures from Proton tools.
One Redditor addressed Yen, saying he misses the “fundamental” reason many people choose Proton: the Swiss firm is the opposite of “a giant techbro company.”
We don’t want another Google or Microsoft; we want a company that shares our ideals, and Proton was that for many of us, at least in some sense. The customer decides if a product is quality, not the CEO,A Reddit user
Such comparisons may be especially harmful to Proton, which positions itself as a privacy-focused alternative to big tech companies and an advocate of European digital sovereignty.
Some users are calling for Yen to resign to save the company’s reputation. One Redditor said he canceled his subscription until the current CEO steps down.
Another Reddit user said it makes “no sense” for them to stay if Yen wants to double down on AI code generation and “eliminate all the checks and balances that maintain the quality of their codebase.”
There are also calls for Yen’s resignation on Proton’s user forum on the company’s website, where the post garnered 831 likes and dozens of comments at the time of writing.
Cybernews reached out to Proton for comment and will update the article once it receives a response.
“Full AI psychosis”
404 Media reported that employees at the company feel unable to voice their concerns about developing AI-driven security products for fear of being berated by Yen or losing their jobs.
“The CEO is in full AI psychosis and has been for a while now,” an employee is cited as saying.
Earlier in October, 404 Media cited a leaked email saying that Proton was planning to interview employees to assess how they apply AI in their roles.
The company said that the interviews could have consequences for employees’ future at the company, including changes in roles and the continuation of employment.
While AI use was initially banned in the company, Proton reportedly recently installed software on employees’ computers to track how much code is AI-generated. In addition, the company reportedly plans to stop hiring human engineers and write more code with AI.
