• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, Yesterday

People value their privacy. But how many are willing to pay for it? 

Android Authority asked that question and found that Gmail may have a serious rival as an email provider: ProtonMail, a paid service that offers end-to-end encryption and anonymity.

Of the consumers surveyed, 44.03% said they would switch to ProtonMail — and pay for it. Another 29.28% said they would move if ProtonMail was free, while 26.69% said they are happy with Gmail. 

Those are not encouraging numbers for Gmail. But ProtonMail comes with some built-in drawbacks of its own, according to Android Authority’s Calvin Wankhede, who tried switching.  

Wankhede discovered that Proton’s end-to-end encryption “only works if both parties use it, which is still relatively uncommon,” Android Authority writes.  

The article adds that the Android app “also lacks standard features like formatting and swipe navigation. With just 1GB of free storage and key features locked behind a paywall, Calvin decided it wasn’t worth the hassle.” 

But apparently he is in the minority. “Gmail can effectively sift through your inbox to serve personalized ads, while Gmail additions like Gemini can also hoover up your data,” Android Authority warns consumers.  

Proton was founded as ProtonMail in 2014, raising $500,000 in a crowdfunded campaign and promoting itself as a privacy-conscious alternative to major email service providers.

The company claims not to know the identities of its users, which is more than Gmail can say.