this post was submitted on 08 Jun 2026
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Privacy

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Why do companies that position themselves as privacy forward support bad ppl, bad ideas, and misinformation?

I recently found out Brave, FUTO, and Proton and have supported shady characters.

Are there any others?

I didn't think it would be so hard to get away from big tech and privacy invasion.

Once I find a privacy and security focused product/app/service I like, I find out they support right wing extremists in one way or another.

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[–] hiawatha98@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] yestalgia@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago

Appreciate the link! I sifted through several posts about this but hadn't run across Proton's reply.

[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

In fairness, those orgs don't vet the people who sign up for the sponsorship program.

[–] yestalgia@lemmy.world -1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Oh really? I'm trying not to get swept up in the hivemind of Reddit, but the consensus over there seems to be that this kind of partnership is even worse than a simple ad read? I don't really know.

[–] FineCoatMummy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

The web is an outrage machine. Esp big social media sites. The more outrage, the more ppl engage with the platform. And there's no stronger outrage, than your ingroup being under attack, or a feeling of betrayal to the group.

On top of that, there's psychological evidence that the bigger the community, the more polarizing opinions rise to the top. Nuance and moderation get lost.

IMO we all have to be very careful. Not just about this, but about EVERYTHING. It's so easy to get swept up in the outrage of the day. Some things really ARE extremely bad. Other things are slightly bad, but painted as much worse than they really are, to stoke outrage and division. Yet other things are just fine, but can appear bad. It isn't always easy to know which is which.

[–] ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 months ago

There is absolutely no evidence for it. He went to lobby in DC, and apparently, some GOP folks had time for him but Dems didn't. Could have been the opposite on different day based on several factors.

Then recently, the marketing firm they hired put a sponsorship on a far right guy's video. They accepted full accountability for the mistake and said they would change procedures to get those being sponsored vetted appropriately.

Neither one of these are evidence of being MAGA. You can personally lobby in DC and find an individual of an opposite party who might have interest in your message. Just because Grainger played a commercial during satanic music videos doesn't mean they are Dimmu Borgir fans. It just means people who listen to metal need tools too.

They guy might be a fascist dick for all I know. I'm just saying that the situations above do not indicate that it is the case. In fact, fascists typically never admit fault or accept accountability for anything. The only concern for me is that he was lobbying in the US at all, but that is the only way you can get your case heard sometimes if you need politicians to hear a different side of an argument.

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 1 points 1 month ago