this post was submitted on 31 Oct 2026
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Privacy
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You're not just taking up umbrage with Proton, you're taking it up with the concept of encrypted email entirely. And yes, E2EE is not really a thing with email, but your email data can be encrypted on your server. Proton also does a bunch of stuff like opening images server-side so they can't be tracked. And I hate email with a passion and desperately wish we could get away from it entirely but until I can confirm my doctor's appointment via Matrix, we don't have a ton of choice in the matter.
I'm going specifically after Proton because of the fact that their PGP encryption doesn't provide any additional value that users lack, even when using Gmail you can send your mails with the same PGP encryption. All while Proton markets itself as FOSS without any plans to open source their backend. All while with their services removes one of the only good things about email which is the ability to use your own client, which paradoxically would usually allow you to automatically encrypt and decrypt PGP mails. That combined with the CEO spazzing out in 2025 over Trump was horrible enough and now with the AI news he's just showing privacy is nothing but a marketing term for him. Doesn't help that Proton has telemetry.
Rendering images server side is good but honestly using email with rendering enabled is just a horrible for privacy either way.
Would be awesome honestly if we could replace email with Matrix, all the same freedoms (and more as IP reputation isn't a thing on Matrix) without the privacy issues of email. Or I wish my state which has done some effort to digitalize would provide doctors and hospitals with an appointment system since right now you are reliant on email as you said or even worse telecom companies for mobile.
This is not exclusive to Proton.
As you already mentioned, Proton just makes this easier. Which is an entirely different discussion from how it's supported on the other end. Also criticisms of PGP are not Proton's responsibility or fault. None of this is specific to Proton.
Not necessarily, they created and published the Proton Mail Bridge. But this is an inherent limit of encrypted data. Once again, nothing to do with Proton. Tuta and Mailbox don't support this either.
See previous response about doctor's appt.
Something something candies and nuts