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.
