18 October 2013

The founder of Lavabit, Ladar Levison, took the decision to close Lavabit in August in an attempt to stop the American Government from accessing the data held at Lavabit.  The FBI demanded he hand over the encryption keys, potentially placing all customer data at risk.

The email service claiming to have more than 350000 customers became of interest to the NSA when   it became known that Edward Snowden used the email service.

Levison stated that:  “This experience has taught me one very important lesson: without congressional action or a strong judicial precedent, I would strongly recommend against anyone trusting their private data to a company with physical ties to the United States.”

Ladar Levison has announced that Lavabit will be back online for 72 hours, enabling uses to download their data. Customers have not been able to assess their personal data since the shutdown in August.

Ladar Levison is currently amidst legal battles with the American authorities fighting to keep the data Lavabit holds private, claiming that demands for the encryption keys to the email encryption service has breached the fourth amendment of the American constitution, which aims to protect citizens from unfair searches.

Galaxkey does not have any ties with the US Government. It is an encryption technology that has secure architecture in that the encryption keys are not held by Galaxkey but by the customer. Galaxkey does not hold any of the keys required to access customer data, allowing the customer to have control of their data at all times.

The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/15/lavabit-reopens-temporarily-customers-information

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/aug/08/lavabit-email-shut-down-edward-snowden