Market Niche Wide Open -- Countries Needed

Lavabit, the private/secure email service used by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, shut down yesterday rather than expose its users to scrutiny by the US government the world's most active and overgrown extortion racket. Apparently similar services are following suit.

Some, like ZDNet's David Gewirtz, are under (and continue to spread) the mistaken impression that there's such a thing as a legitimate government spy operation (or, for that matter, a legitimate government), and that "ISPs and email hosting providers need to be willing to and plan for the need to work with government officials."

Well, no.

What email hosting providers need to be willing to do is find friendly host countries whose governments will neither pry into users' emails nor assist rogue states like the US in doing so.

Ideally, more than one country.

Ideally, multiple countries that are widely geographically dispersed, and that aren't all part of the same alliances or blocs, such that the email hosting can be distributed so as to provide for continued service even if the servers in one country have to be shut down and their drives catastrophically wiped because that country's government gives in to the rogue states.

Just as an example, perhaps a service with servers in Iceland, Iran, Venezuela, Somalia and Gaza.

Email privacy/security is too important to leave at the mercy of governments at all, but especially at the mercy of the US government.