My Switch to Proton

I'm in the final stages of a pretty big shift in my digital life: moving almost entirely away from Google services. Proton is now my go-to for core needs like email, and I've been systematically swapping out other Google products. It's been a journey.

For ages, I've been keen on digital privacy. I've played around with countless tools, different browsers, mail providers, and even operating systems, always looking for setups that genuinely respect user data. The real push for this near-total overhaul, though? Seeing just how much data Google had on me. It was... a lot.

Lately, a big worry for me has been how major tech companies use our data, especially for training AI models. The rules around this seem to change so often, or at least, that's the impression I get. I just got tired of the uncertainty and decided it was time for more direct control. So, "de-Googling" became the mission, and Proton has been an important part of that transition.

I wasn't entirely new to Proton's services, having used things like Proton Mail earlier. The benefits are super clear to me: much better privacy by default, strong end-to-end encryption, and way less tracking. Supporting an organization like Proton also feels right. I'm hopeful they'll keep growing and maybe even roll out their own collaborative tools or integrate solid open-source options for docs and spreadsheets eventually. A guy can dream!

Now, let's be real, stepping away from the Google ecosystem isn't a walk in the park. The convenience of Gmail and the whole G-Suite is huge, no doubt. I'll also miss some power-user email features from tools like Superhuman, especially those amazing keyboard shortcuts. And yeah, Google's Single Sign-On was handy.

But, here's the thing: I'm willing to "struggle" a bit. I'm okay with spending extra time tinkering and figuring out new workflows. Why? Because I want to actively choose not to have my personal data fed into AI training models without my clear, ongoing say-so. I want to back companies that build privacy from the ground up.

This whole migration is nearly done. The main Google service I'm still using is Google Drive, but only temporarily for some final university projects. The day I hand in that last assignment, my ties to Google services are cut. (Okay, I'll admit, I will keep YouTube, it is still a bit of a weak spot, but I'm working on that one!)

And perhaps the current state of world politics and data governance has also subtly influenced this move.