# Riseup

> Source: https://fuckyc.org/services/riseup/
> Website: https://riseup.net/
> Categories: Privacy email
> KYC: optional — Email and VPN service operated by an activist collective; signup requires an invite code or a justification, no government ID.
> Status: active
> Jurisdiction: United States (operator-disclosed)
> Fiat on-ramp: no
> Payment methods: donation
> Founded: 1999
> Open source: yes
> Custodial: yes
> Last verified: 2026-01-01

## 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.

## 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).

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## What Riseup is

An activist-run email, VPN, and pad/wiki provider operating since 1999.

## Threat-model fit

Activist-community use; not a general-purpose drop-in.

## Sources

- [Riseup about](https://riseup.net/about-us) — accessed 2026-01-01
- [Riseup canary](https://riseup.net/canary) — accessed 2026-01-01