Subj : Ed Snowden's email provider shutting down to fight USG pressure
To   : All
From : Damon A. Getsman
Date : Thu Aug 08 2013 15:37:57

http://boingboing.net/2013/08/08/lavabit-email-service-snowden.html

My Fellow Users,

I have been forced to make a difficult decision: to become complicit in crimes
against the American people or walk away from nearly ten years of hard work by
shutting down Lavabit. After significant soul searching, I have decided to
suspend operations. I wish that I could legally share with you the events that
led to my decision. I cannot. I feel you deserve to know what.s going on--the
first amendment is supposed to guarantee me the freedom to speak out in
situations like this. Unfortunately, Congress has passed laws that say
otherwise. As things currently stand, I cannot share my experiences over the
last six weeks, even though I have twice made the appropriate requests.

What.s going to happen now? We.ve already started preparing the paperwork
needed to continue to fight for the Constitution in the Fourth Circuit Court of
Appeals. A favorable decision would allow me resurrect Lavabit as an American
company.

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.

Sincerely,
Ladar Levison
Owner and Operator, Lavabit LLC

Defending the constitution is expensive! Help us by donating to the Lavabit
Legal Defense Fund here.


-The opinions expressed are not necessarily an advocation of any of the
aforementioned ideologies, concepts, or actions.  We still have the freedom of
speech, for now, and I enjoy using it in a satirical or ficticious manner to
amuse myself-

"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a
revolutionary act." --  George Orwell

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