By Joseph Menn

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – When a senior executive at virtual private network company ExpressVPN admitted to working on behalf of a foreign intelligence service to hack American machines last week, it stunned employees at his new company, according to interviews and electronic records.

ExpressVPN stated that it knew about Dan Gericke’s past as a hacker mercenary for the United Arab Emirates.

VPN providers said they had no issues with former intelligence officer protecting its customers’ privacy. In reality, Gericke was repeatedly given more responsibility by ExpressVPN despite the FBI’s investigation into his conduct.

According to an internal email, Gericke was appointed chief technology officer in August. He remains there.

Gericke, along with two other ex-intelligence operators from the U.S., sent an email to ExpressVPN shortly after the court filings were made.

Gericke said that he could imagine this type of news being surprising, or even unsettling. He then assured his colleagues at ExpressVPN that he would use his expertise to safeguard consumers’ privacy and security.

The workforce was furious when senior executives of the company discussed Gericke’s sale to British-Israeli security software company Kape Technologies PLC.

An anonymous employee posted on an internal chatboard: “This episode has damaged consumer trust in our brand regardless of the facts. What are we going to do to restore our reputation?

The question received support from more than 40 employees, pushing it to the top. Vice also reported employee concerns earlier Thursday. Vice reported other employee complaints earlier on Thursday.

ExpressVPN stated that it was part of an ongoing monthly meeting between employees and management.

ExpressVPN stated that Friday’s event “was an in-depth instance a channel that allows staff to ask top leaders.” We value transparency, openness and dialogue as a company. That includes robust discussion and sharp questioning.

A 2019 Reuters report revealed that Gericke, codenamed Project Raven by NASDAQ:, was part of a group that helped to monitor the UAE’s surveillance on a range of people, including journalists, human rights advocates, and other activists. Gericke was not named in the story.

ExpressVPN’s meeting with leaders on Friday included the second-most popular question about Gericke.

As an individual, it is difficult for me to believe Dan was hired after he disclosed his past activities. We cannot forget these past actions and accept them. They aren’t in line with all that XV represents. The person asked.

Reuters was asked by the company, “It is only through clear dedication and contributions to our missions that Daniel has been able gain senior leadership roles within our company and the complete confidence of our cofounders.”