Proton Mail Adds Gmail Sending as Google Pushes AI-First Search to 2 Billion Users
Updated
Updated · Engadget · May 28
Proton Mail Adds Gmail Sending as Google Pushes AI-First Search to 2 Billion Users
7 articles · Updated · Engadget · May 28
Proton Mail now lets users send from and automatically receive mail to their Gmail addresses inside Proton, expanding beyond its earlier Gmail import and inbox-checking tools.
The pitch is privacy: Proton says routing Gmail through its service stops Google from using email activity to profile users, while messages between Proton users and connected Gmail accounts can become end-to-end encrypted.
Easy Switch already transfers Gmail conversations, attachments, calendars and contacts, and Proton says users can also move Google Photos and Drive files to Proton Drive as part of a gradual exit from Google.
The feature targets users unsettled by Google's broader AI push, including its shift to an AI-first Search experience, as rivals such as DuckDuckGo report a sustained surge in installs after that overhaul.
Proton offers an escape from Google's AI, but is the convenience of a free, integrated ecosystem simply too valuable to abandon?
In the race for quantum-proof security, can a privacy-focused company like Proton truly out-innovate a tech giant like Google?
As Google's AI provides direct answers, are we witnessing the slow death of the open web and its diverse content creators?