TL;DR: Proton Mail has seen a surge in popularity over the past few years. The end-to-end encrypted, Switzerland-based email provider doesn't mince words, offering a migration option aimed at users looking to switch away from Gmail and its advertising-driven email experience.
Proton Mail has introduced a new way for Gmail users to switch to its hosted email service. The company is making it easier for people to leave Gmail by adding an option to send and receive emails using a Gmail address directly within Proton Mail. Proton argues that users should move away from Gmail due to concerns about privacy and Google's advertising-driven business model.
The new feature is designed to reduce the friction of switching email providers, according to the Swiss company. Without a formal import option, Gmail users would otherwise need to notify contacts and update their email addresses across multiple online services.
After enabling the migration option, Proton Mail will import the most recent Gmail messages into the new secure inbox. After that, emails sent to the old Gmail address will continue to appear in Proton Mail.
Proton AG is positioning the feature as part of a broader push to encourage users to leave Gmail. The company has been criticized for scanning Gmail content to improve its advertising profiles and track user activity across the web, enabling cross-site behavioral targeting.
Meanwhile, Proton Mail is designed to offer a more privacy-focused email experience. The service blocks trackers and removes advertising-related elements from incoming messages, whereas Gmail has been described by critics as "basically adware" and as a system designed to collect large volumes of user data. Google also acknowledges that location data can be used to deliver more relevant ads.
After switching to Proton Mail, Gmail can no longer use email activity to build advertising profiles on users. However, Google may still be able to access messages sent to a Gmail address, which is why Proton encourages users to prompt their contacts to switch as well.
The Swiss company has published a detailed guide outlining the Gmail migration process. Users can also connect accounts from other major providers, including Yahoo, Outlook, and Apple Mail. Linking an existing Gmail account to Proton Mail does not grant Google access to the new inbox, according to Proton.
According to Proton Mail product lead Anant Vijay Singh, "every account you update to use your Proton Mail address instead of Gmail is one less source of data for Google's gigantic data harvesting machine."
Proton offers several email plans, including a free tier with limited storage. Founded in 2014 through a crowdfunding campaign, the Switzerland-based company has since expanded into additional services such as VPN, cloud storage (Drive), and productivity tools. While Proton Mail encrypts data exchanged between users, it does not provide absolute anonymity, as Swiss legal obligations may require disclosure of specific user information under certain conditions.
