Privacy email

Riseup

Riseup is the activist-collective email and VPN provider.

Website

riseup.net

KYC

optional KYC — Email and VPN service operated by an activist collective; signup requires an invite code or a justification, no government ID.

Status

active

Fiat on-ramp

no

Payment

donation

Jurisdiction

United States (operator-disclosed)

Founded

1999

Open source

yes

Custodial

yes

Last verified

Jan 1, 2026

Sources

2

Overview

Strengths

• Activist-collective operator with a clear posture, 25+ years of operation.
• Tor-supported throughout.
• Strong community-trust signal in activist circles.

Caveats

• U.S. jurisdiction is the operator-side caveat.
• Invite-only signup is friction, not a privacy benefit, for most users.
• Facts need re-verification by operator (last seeded 2026-01).

Verdict

Riseup is the activist-collective email and VPN provider. The community-trust profile is unmatched; the U.S. jurisdiction and invite-only signup are the trade-offs. For users embedded in activist communities, it is often the default; for others, it is mostly a reference point.

FAQ

Does Riseup require KYC?

Riseup has optional KYC; you can use the service without it for the basic flow. Email and VPN service operated by an activist collective; signup requires an invite code or a justification, no government ID.

What payment methods does Riseup accept?

Riseup accepts: donation.

Where is Riseup based?

Operating jurisdiction listed as United States (operator-disclosed). This is best-known information; corporate structure can be opaque.

Sources

1. Riseup about · accessed Jan 1, 2026
2. Riseup canary · accessed Jan 1, 2026

Mentioned in

Alternatives to Riseup

• addy.io optional kyc · United
• cock.li none kyc · Romania
• Disroot none kyc · Netherlands
• mailbox.org optional kyc · Germany
• Mailfence optional kyc · Belgium
• Proton Mail optional kyc · Switzerland

Entry last verified Jan 1, 2026. Notice an error? Send it via the contact form.