Proton launches Microsoft 365 migration tool amid data loss concerns

Swiss provider Proton has expanded its ‘Easy Switch’ tool to allow businesses to migrate emails, contacts, and calendars from Microsoft 365. The migration process involves six guided steps designed to run systems in parallel, allowing employees to continue working without downtime. The tool requires administrator privileges for both Proton and Microsoft 365, and the Microsoft accounts must be cloud-hosted.

Proton framed this expansion as a response to European concerns regarding dependence on US technology. A Proton survey of 1,500 European executives indicated that 74 percent fear a US ‘kill switch’—a scenario where the US government instructs American companies to cease services for foreign users. Such concerns are often linked to the US Cloud Act, which can compel American companies to provide data to law enforcement regardless of where it is stored.

Separately, Microsoft has admitted to the accidental and irreversible deletion of cloud-based Microsoft 365 data belonging to an undisclosed number of nonprofit organizations. The loss occurred during a transition period as Microsoft retired its 365 Business Premium Grant license. While Microsoft advised nonprofits to switch to Microsoft 365 Business Basic, the company confirmed that the deleted data cannot be retrieved unless the organizations maintained their own independent backups.