Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kje5jRdpCg [8:26] (Amost all videos on the channel have links associated with Proton)

Paulo Figueiredo, grandson of General João Baptista Figueiredo, the last Brazilian president during the military dictatorship, is a far-right coup-supporting influencer considered a fugitive and currently residing in the USA. He is accused of participating in the attempted coup d’état of January 8, 2023, in Brazil, of working with US authorities to punish Brazilian officials for the legal proceedings against former coup-supporting president Jair Bolsonaro, and is a target of the fake news inquiry, which investigates, among other crimes, plans to assassinate politicians and judges of the Brazilian Supreme Court.

The influencer was a business partner of Donald Trump, a relationship that led to his arrest in the US for involvement in a bribery scheme at BRB (a state-owned bank in the Brazilian capital).

Figueiredo is selling a course on politics and history aligned with far-right ideas, having offered it to seven congressmen who support Jair Bolsonaro, a staunch defender of the Brazilian military dictatorship financed by the USA, on the eve of Trump’s inauguration for a second term in January 2025.

This is not “plurality.” This is not “respecting the other side.” It is the normalization of figures who should be unanimously considered criminals for attacking democratic institutions and freedoms.

Given all this “operational error” by Proton’s sponsors, I see that any user with democratic awareness on some internet privacy forum seems to be better than their global communications team.

THIS EXCUSE DOESN’T WORK!

  • commonmarmoset@reddthat.com
    0·
    30 days ago

    See timestamp 8:26 for Proton banner adds. I don’t speak the language so I can’t tell what’s actually being said, but it has all the aesthetic of an advertisement.

    I’m very disappointed in Proton. This level of carelessness has been enough to make me permanently avoid some software/services. I feel like I’m clutching at straws to find a reason I shouldn’t stop using them. Shooting from the hip and sponsoring multiple far right folks should be disqualifying to anybody patronizing them for ethical reasons.

    I’m hoping that I have not correctly understood the situation.

    • Steve@communick.newsEnglish
      0·
      30 days ago

      It’s just another affiliate link. Like many companies offer, anyone can sign up with their “Partnership Program” and generate an affiliate link to get a kickback on new signups. This isn’t a specific sponsorship or direct advertising deal that Proton sought out or directly paid for.

      Proton offers 3 kinds of Partnerships.

      • Channel Partners: Resellers basically. If you want to offer email service to your customers, you can do so through Proton. You have to communicate directly with Proton people to set this up.
      • Influences: These are are traditional sponsorships and advertisement arrangements. Again, you need to communicate with a real person for this.
      • Affiliate Links: Open to anyone really. All you have to do is fill out an online form. That’s all it takes to get a link that pays you a kickback for any signups through that link. They do have an “approval” process and have stated they’re working on making the vetting process more through. Especially for companies in countries with languages they don’t directly have native speakers.

      These “SCANDALS” are just people signing up for affiliate links and then promoting them.