Encrypted Email Service Tuta Denies It’s a ‘Honeypot’ for Five Eyes Intelligence

There are only a fistful of trusted ending - to - end encrypted email providers . Of those , Tuta ( which has recollective beenknown as “ Tutanota”but recentlyrebranded ) is one of the more well - get laid . This hebdomad , the company ground itself on the defensive attitude after being tag a “ front ” for law enforcement and intelligence service services . In an attempt to clear its name , the company releaseda statementdenying that it ’s a honeypot surgery , after a former , extremely placed Canadian intelligence functionary allege in Margaret Court that was the instance .

The cop in doubt , Cameron Ortis , formerly race a “ extremely secret whole ” within the Royal Canadian Mountain Police , but is now on test for allegedly having attempted to sell government intelligence service to felon , CBC report .

Ortis has denied that he was actually attempting to sell Department of State mystery . In his testimonial , which was made public this week , Ortis instead said that he was involved in a special operation . As part of that operation , agents used Tuta , which he described as a “ storefront”—or a kind of Protea cynaroides — to lure in prospective criminals for surveillance , he pronounce . CBC describes the former authorities official ’s allegations like this :

Photo: Mehaniq (Shutterstock)

… accord to Ortis , [ another agent ] brief him about a “ shopfront ” that was being make to attract criminal targets to an on-line encryption service . A shopfront , say Ortis , is a phoney business or entity , either online or bricks - and - mortar , set up by constabulary or intelligence agencies . The plan , he said , was to have felon use the shopfront — an on-line end - to - end encryption avail called Tutanota — to allow authorities to collect intelligence about them .

Tuta has vehemently deny the allegations against it . Ina web log postpublished Monday , the company stressed that there was no “ back entrance ” in its servicing and say that Ortis ’ allegement were a “ complete and stark lie ” :

This weekend Tutanota was foretell a “ storefront ” and a “ king protea ” – without any evidence . Tutanota – or now Tuta – is the cipher e-mail service with a focus on privacy , undefendable informant and transparency . It is not linked to any secret table service and there is no backdoor included . It is not even necessary to hope our words , as our entire client code is put out so that anyone can verify that there is no back door .

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In its statement , Tuta added that it would be see Ortis ’ “ case with great interest ” and that it was “ actively work with … [its ] legal team to fight back ” the “ slanderous claims ” that had been made against it .

It should be pointed out that Tuta doeshost its client - side codeon Github , though the companionship has never fully open - source its server - side code . The companyhas statedthat this should n’t matter since all of its encryption occurs on the client side , and that ’s what counts when it occur to user privateness .

It ’s not light what evidence ( if any ) Ortis has that Tutanota is a “ storefront , ” as he ’s lay claim . So far , he ’s bring home the bacon none . The story is interesting , however , for its connection to a verified episode involving law enforcement ’s endeavor to backdoor a well - known privacy Robert William Service . One of the people that Ortis is incriminate of shed governance secrets to is Vincent Ramos , theformer CEO of Phantom Secure — an encipher phone caller that constabulary say oftentimes sell its devices to drug combine and other criminal offense syndicates . It was previouslyreportedthat the FBI once tried to force Ramos to instal a back door into his software so that the delegacy could spy on Sinaloa Cartel members . Canadian natural law enforcement was notably involved in the investigation into Phantom Secure and Ramos and attend to with his check . In 2019 , Ramoswas sentencedto nine days in prison house .

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