Proton spam and the AI consent problem • Hacker News Board

Re: Proton spam and the AI consent problem

#161

Post by neobrain » Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 1:35 PM UTC

Quothling wrote: post #8

Lumo will likely be the thing that moves me away from Proton. I've been pretty happy with it, ever since they made the photo's app actually have shareable libraries it's been just as good as any other Google Mail/Photos/Files thing I've used. The password manager plugin for firefox isn't as good as bitwarden, but when you're paying it's part of the package so... If I have to encrypt my files before I use the drive, a…

> I've been pretty happy with it, ever since they made the photo's app actually have shareable libraries it's been just as good as any other Google Mail/Photos/Files thing I've used.

Glad to hear you found a service that's useful to you!

> If I have to encrypt my files before I use the drive, and they continue to build their AI spy into everything, though, then what is the point really?

That would be concerning indeed, but there is no such integration today and it seems unlikely they would integrate non-local models into drive. Even on the mail side, any use of LLMs is optional, opt-in, and limited to text production (i.e. no training on your inbox).

Re: Proton spam and the AI consent problem

#162

Post by chrisjj » Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 1:36 PM UTC

ozlikethewizard wrote: post #10

brauhaus wrote: post #3

This is not an AI problem, it's an "data privacy + lack of consequences problem". It happens everywhere. I mean, have you ever tried making an airline company to stop sending their shitty miles newsletters? Only way to stop is to start fining these companies.

Not sure where you live, but inside the EU / UK this is rarely a problem because the companies do get fined. If youre having problems like this report them to your relevant authority. But as another commentor noted, AI bubble makes paying spam fines more worthwhile than bubble popping.

> Not sure where you live, but inside the EU / UK this is rarely a problem because the companies do get fined.

Here in UK is is a frequent problem and companies rarely get fined e.g. MS never.

Re: Proton spam and the AI consent problem

#163

Post by Cyan488 » Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 1:39 PM UTC

Funny they mentioned the GitHub email. I got the same one and unsubscribed from every GitHub email immediately. I wonder if they track how fast people unsubscribe after opening particular emails.

Re: Proton spam and the AI consent problem

#164

Post by chrisjj » Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 1:42 PM UTC

Tepix wrote: post #89

I had a similar issue with Microsoft today. They obviously invented a new "Copilot Newsletter" and subscribed my address to it, without my consent. I wonder what the legislation says (I'm in Germany). I know that some business related mails are deemed legal, but this seems to clearly cross the line.

UK legislation says it is illegal. MS are serial offenders and the UK regulator has charged them not once.

Re: Proton spam and the AI consent problem

#165

Post by chrisjj » Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 1:46 PM UTC

tmarice wrote: post #73

I've been using Fastmail for years now, and I'm completely satisfied. Custom domain + built-in masked email functionality works great.

The FM Masked Email is insecure in that there is a circumstance under which it can leak your real email.

Re: Proton spam and the AI consent problem

#166

Post by plagiarist » Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 1:48 PM UTC

jasode wrote: post #75

SCdF wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree: in as much as I have noticed this *far* more with AI than any other advancement / fad (depending on your opinion) than anything else before. This also tracks with every app and website injecting AI into every one of your interactions, with no way to disable it. I think the article's point about non-consent is a very apt one, and expresses why I dislike this trend so much. I left Google Workspace, as a pay…

>I disagree: in as much as I have noticed this far more with AI than any other advancement / fad I agree with gp that new spam emails that override customers' email marketing preferences is not an "AI" issue. The problem is that once companies have your email address, their irresistible compulsion to spam you is so great that they will deliberately not honor their own "Communication Preferences" that supposedly lets…

> Apple doesn't send out marketing messages and obeys their customers' marketing email preferences ... except .. when you buy a new iPhone and then they send emails about "Your new iPhone lets you try Apple TV for 3 months free!" and then more emails about "You have Apple Music for 3 months free!"

That's "transactional" I'm sure. It makes sense that a company is legally allowed to send transactional emails, but they all abuse it to send marketing bullshit wherever they can blur the line.

Re: Proton spam and the AI consent problem

#167

Post by chrisjj » Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 1:48 PM UTC

bartbutler wrote: post #133

Hey, Proton CTO here. There was a bug, and we fucked up. Support should have reported it up the chain and acknowledged this. Things happen, especially at scale, but we take comms consent seriously and will fix it.

Thanks. Well done.

Re: Proton spam and the AI consent problem

#168

Post by dwedge » Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 1:55 PM UTC

direwolf20 wrote: post #109

dwedge wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whenever I login to LinkedIn I get "emails aren't getting through to your main email address". 1. That's by design, because you spammed the shit out of it. 2. Given that all I do is send them to /dev/null, HOW DO YOU KNOW?

Probably tracking pixels in the emails

So they'd miss it anyway, my mail client is firewalled to only be able to access the mailserver.

I've been unsubscribed from a handful of newsletters because I don't read them. I replied to one and told them I did, even reached out on Twitter, but they still deleted me.

Re: Proton spam and the AI consent problem

#169

Post by littlecranky67 » Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 1:56 PM UTC

causalscience wrote: post #102

littlecranky67 wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have the exact opposite opinion. I use proton business together with their email, vpn, calendar, drive (on macOS), password manager etc. and switched specifically because of their encryption, data protection and fulls-size feature bundle. Plus, I migrated vom Office365 and it became a shitshow to manage and was full of bugs. And I had a separate bitwarden subscription, and a separate VPN subscription. Now it is one…

Oh yeah, having your passwords online is a great idea /s

It is, if they are encrypted. Without a password manager, I would inevitable have to reuse the same passwords over and over on my hundreds of different accounts. With a password manager, they are auto-generated random gibberish. And yes, even when using 2FA, you should have different passwords for all accounts.

Bitwarden, OnePassword, LastPass, Proton Pass etc. are password managers with dozens of millions of users that agree.

Re: Proton spam and the AI consent problem

#170

Post by gingerlime » Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 1:57 PM UTC

Tepix wrote: post #89

I had a similar issue with Microsoft today. They obviously invented a new "Copilot Newsletter" and subscribed my address to it, without my consent. I wonder what the legislation says (I'm in Germany). I know that some business related mails are deemed legal, but this seems to clearly cross the line.

Same. Posted a comment about it [0]. I already filed a GDPR and ePrivacy compliants. Happy to share notes. Contact details in my profile.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46730206