- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- In your Gmail app, go to Settings.
- Select your Gmail address.
- Clear the Smart features checkbox.
- Go to Google Workspace smart features.
- Clear the checkboxes for: Smart features in Google Workspace, Smart features in other Google products
- If you have more Gmail accounts, repeat these steps for each one.
- Turning off Gemini in Gmail also disables basic, long-standing features like spellchecking, which predate AI assistants. This design choice discourages opting out and shows how valuable your AI-processed data is for Google.
This has finally gotten me to take steps to deGoogle my email, Fastmail trial underway.
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Proton has their own AI bullshit:
At least it’s not rummaging around your email though.
And just so you know, it is not end-to-end encrypted like their email is when emailing another Proton user: https://lumo.proton.me/legal/privacy
The only way to have actually private AI is to run it on your own hardware.
Yeah but lumo is basically just a side gimmick thing that isn’t integrated with the rest of their suite.
It’s basically the equivalent of a self hosted small LLM that you don’t have to fuck around with setting up.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with LLMs as a tool. The problem is the misuse, misapplication and over scaling of them.
If they were all just one off tools like lumo that are basically slightly more advanced digital assistants they would be fine. LLMs are fantastic for quickly searching shit with crap discoverability for example. They routinely are more effective at finding random useful results in say reddit or stack overflow or even some weird forum on the 12th page of Google.
I mean, I get that, but why is Proton offering one? What value do I get from Proton’s LLM that I wouldn’t get from any other company’s LLM? It’s not privacy, because it’s not end to end encrypted. It’s not features, because it’s just a fine tuned version of the free Mistral model (from what I can tell). It’s not integration (thank goodness), because they don’t have access to your data to integrate it with (according to their privacy policy).
I kind of just hate the idea that every tech company is offering an LLM service now. Proton is an email and VPN company. Those things make sense. The calendar and drive stuff too. They have actual selling points that differentiate them from other offerings. But investing engineering time and talent into yet another LLM, especially one that’s worse than the competition, just seems like a waste to me. And especially since it’s not something that fits into their other product offerings.
It truly seems like they just wanted to have something AI related so they wouldn’t be “left behind” in case the hype wasn’t a bubble. I don’t like it when companies do that. It makes me think they don’t really have a clear direction.
Edit: it looks like they use several models, not just one:
Lumo is powered by open-source large language models (LLMs) which have been optimized by Proton to give you the best answer based on the model most capable of dealing with your request. The models we’re using currently are Nemo, OpenHands 32B, OLMO 2 32B, GPT-OSS 120B, Qwen, Ernie 4.5 VL 28B, Apertus, and Kimi K2.
- https://proton.me/support/lumo-privacy
I have a laptop with 48GB of VRAM (a Framework with integrated Radeon graphics) that can run all of those models locally, so Proton offers even less value for someone in my position.
Ah; as I recall, it’s because they polled users and there was an overwhelming “yes please”, based on Proton’s privacy stance.
Given proton is hosted in EU, they’re likely quite serious about GDPR and zero data retention.
Lumo is interesting. Architecturally I mean, as a LLM enjoyer. I played around with it a bit, and stole a few ideas from them when I jury rigged my system. Having said that, you could get a ton more with $10 on OpenRouter. Hell, the free models on there are better than lumo and you can choose to only use privacy respecting providers.
I played around with it a lot yesterday, giving it documentation and asking it to write some code based on the API documentation. Just like every single other LLM I’ve ever tried, it just bungled the entire thing. It made up a bunch of functions and syntax that just doesn’t exist. After I told it the code was wrong and gave it the right way to do it, it told me that I got it wrong and converted it back to the incorrect syntax. LLMs are interesting toys, but shouldn’t be used for real work.
Yeah. I had ChatGPT (more than once) take the code given, cut it in half, scramble it and then claim “see? I did it! Code works now”.
When you point out what it did, by pasting its own code back in, it will say “oh, why did you do that? There’s a mistake in your code at XYZ”. No…there’s a mistake in your code, buddy.
When you paste in what you want it to add, it “fixes” XYZ … and …surprise surprise… It’s either your OG code or more breaks.
The only one ive seen that doesn’t do this is (or does it a lot less) is Claude.
I think Lumo for the most part is really just Mistral, Nemotron and Openhands in a trench coat. ICBW.
I think Lumo’s value proposition is around data retention and privacy, not SOTA llm tech.
Sounds like a skill issue. I guess you don’t know how to prompt correctly. 🤷
Feel free to try. Here’s the library I use: https://nymph.io/
It’s open source, and all the docs and code are available at that link and on GitHub. I always ask it to make a note entity, which is just incredibly simple. Basically the same thing as the ToDo example.
The reason I use this library (other than that I wrote it, so I know it really well) is that it isn’t widely known and there aren’t many example projects of it on GitHub, so the LLM has to be able to actually read and understand the docs and code in order to properly use it. For something like React, there are a million examples online, so for basic things, the LLM isn’t really understanding anything, it’s just making something similar to its training data. That’s not how actual high level programming works, so making it follow an API it isn’t already trained on is a good way to test if it is near the same abilities as an actual entry level SWE.
I just tested it again and it made 9 mistakes. I had to explain each mistake and what it should be before it finally gave me code that would work. It’s not good code, but it would at least work. It would make a mistake, I would tell it how to fix it, then it would make a new mistake. And keep in mind, this was for a very simple entity definition.
I have a laptop with 48GB of VRAM
???
The AMD GPU in some Frameworks have 8GB of vram.
It’s integrated graphics so it uses up to half of the system RAM. I have 96GB of system ram, so 48GB of VRAM. I bought it last year before the insane price hikes, when it was within reach to normal people like me.
I’ve tried it and it works. I can load huge models. Bigger than 48GB even. The ones bigger than 48GB run really slow, though. Like one token per second. But the ones that can fit in the 48GB are pretty decent. Like 6 tokens per second for the big models, if I’m remembering correctly. Obviously, something like an 8b parameter model would be way faster, but I don’t really have a use for those kinds of models.
I don’t necessarily have a problem with offering AI. Especially in actually-useful contexts. I have a problem with it being forced on me in unwanted ones.
I have a problem with encryption possibly being a thing of the past because users I write with will put all incoming messages through some LLM because they can‘t be arsed to actually read and reply themselves.
Since when does email have encryption?
I mean in general. It doesn‘t matter what you use because the AI software will be installed on their phones.
Yes and no. If we’re talking about email, that’s completely different from Lumo, and can either be run locally or server-side with encryption, which is then immediately deleted.
https://proton.me/support/proton-scribe-writing-assistant#privacy
But I mean email is generally not private anyway.
No one is forcing you to use it. Having a european AI like Lumo that encrypts transcripts is great in comparison to shady big tech companies. Yes I know the full context is sent each time the AI wants to generate something. But still, I’m happy they offer it.
Its good to clarify that it’s not end to end encrypted like their email because its not clear from their marketing wording that its not. Its very easy to presume “encrypted” is the same encryption process they are known for on their email.
The flip side of that coin is that it is a separate tool you don’t have to use. You can choose to use as many or few of their products as you wish (its not forced on you).
It’s also a plus that there is SOME encryption and attempts at privacy vs every other alternative besides self hosting.
I’ve personally found lumo to be very useful in troubleshooting computer issues that I’m unfamiliar with. I’ve learned a lot from using it, and the researching was faster than scouring forums myself and presented to me in a single pane. Its just a tool similar to a web browser. I choose a browser that helps me be private and I choose an AI tool that does the same, but I don’t expect either to actually keep me private.
All the suggestions in this thread are good, but for anyone who doesn’t want to self-host or change providers entirely (because changing your email is an absolute pain in the ass):
At least get a different mail client. You don’t have to use the official Gmail App to access Gmail! I personally really like FairEmail, because it’s open source, has no unnecessary bells and whistles, and just works. It takes less than 5mins to download it and move Gmail over there completely, with no risk of losing any data or missing any mails.
Or Thunderbird, I use that with my yahoo email ive had for 20 years. I cant get rid of it at this point ha
Don’t use gmail?
From all things in the modern world, E-Mail is the easiest to have for yourself.
I’ve been using Proton for years, 100% would recommend
That being said, I have had to use my gmail a couple times over the years because some sites do not accept an email address unless it’s from one of the top few email providers. It’s fucked
I went one step further and use my own domain where I can freely choose my hosting provider.
So far I havent had an issue with sites accepting my domain (and it’s not a very common one to start with).
The only issue I have faced so far is with some sites seemingly unable to fathom how one would want to switch their email.
Looking at you IoI Interactive
https://tuta.com/blog/how-to-disable-gemini-on-android
Tuta is always pretty quick to report on these things. 🙂
I did all that ages ago and re-confirmed, it’s still all disabled…
But Gemini persists:
The hell? How can that be?
What the column has you do is disable Gemini access in Mail, but it is still on for search.
The billion-dollar company pays a lot of people to abuse its customers.
After getting into web development, I realize that no abusive tactic is an accident.
Definitely not accidental, no.
That’s assuming the setting is respected server-side, of course. With the track record of company doing AI training, respect of rules and law isn’t really part of their actions.
Proton ad
How to turn off Gemini in one step:
- Stop using google’s services.
If i was actually running my own competing service I’d probably suggest switching to it instead of writing a blog post to help people use my competition, but i guess thats why I don’t work in marketing, this must be some big brained 4-d chess move.
Why does it matter if its googles "AI’ slurping up your emails, or just their massive advertising and tracking network? Do the ads seem less intrusive if they’re just coming from adsense instead of gemini? Are people actually foolish enough to think “disabling” a feature like this actually stops google from constantly scanning every single one of their emails?
I’m going to call this now, Proton will be just as bad as google in 5-10 years. It shows in how they are totally bad faith promoting themselves as a better alternative they have one goal in mind and it’s the same one as cancer.
but i guess thats why I don’t work in marketing
Yeah, I guess it is, because this article works in Proton’s favor on multiple levels:
- Plenty of Proton users have switched over from Gmail, still have their old account, and still, even with forwarding, occasionally need to use those old addresses.
- People who search for or are sent a guide who’ve never or rarely heard of Proton might end up on their site and read a guide that lambasts Google and its usage of AI.
- Meanwhile, Proton’s alternative product is being advertised everywhere on the page outside the guide and even is advertised within it.
- These guides are going to exist anyway (many, in fact). You’re acting like this is some extremely niche thing users might want to do. Having your own guide but poisoned with your marketing when you’re the underdog is a sound idea.
- This gives a benevolent image of “Good Guy Proton” who just wants to keep people’s data private regardless of business – and a “Bad Guy Google” image because it’s apparently so dire that their competition has to do this.
- Consumers becoming more privacy-conscious generally is a boon long-term for businesses like Proton.
You’re so smarmy about this but just come off as a complete dipshit who gave this two seconds of thought.
You had such excellent points all up until the unnecessary ad hominem at the end there. No need for name calling when you’ve already won.
Before I address the substance: that’s not what an ad hominem is in the context of an argument. I’d already 100% finished attacking the substance of their argument. An ad hominem would be if I fallaciously appealed to a personal characteristic (real or otherwise) to attack an argument of theirs. “You’re wrong because you’re a dipshit”.
Anyway: man, I dunno. It’s 2026, and I’ve gotten really fucking sick of being unilaterally bound by etiquette when the bullshit asymmetry principle and the Dunning–Kruger effect are being stretched to their limits by insufferable, insolent shitheads who’ve unburdened themselves of critical thinking and assume having a platform to the entire world makes them qualified to say anything about everything (I can fall into this trap too, but holy shit sometimes).
I was still more polite than they were, still exercised more critical thought than they did, and still addressed the substance, and that’s fine enough by me not to tone police myself.
Alright, my bad, good ackshually. 👍 Let’s refer to it as name-calling.
So like, calling someone a dipshit just because you’ve run into so many people that annoy you… I dunno. If it was the same person that annoyed you over and over again, I’d get it, but, this is your first interaction with this person, right? You feel me?
🤷♂️ You have the right to call anyone you want a dipshit, of course, I just would like us to have civil discourse here. Everyone benefits from that, I believe. Plus, I think we’re all mostly on the same side regarding this matter. I don’t feel like this is a every polarizing issue here. 😁 Google is the enemy here, let’s not infight.
A person is also much more susceptible and inclined to listen without being called names. 😉
Have a good day today, buddy!
They probably should have given it two seconds of thought before sending it.
I mean, it’s just one person’s idea of how they think things will pan out vs another’s. No need for name-calling. 👍
The post is just an ad disguised as a guide and absolutely pointless. You know what else will show people how to disable gemini, googles own ai based search (which now sources protons guide, well above the actual search result that links back to proton)
Sorry if my aversion to advertising comes off as smarmy, im tired of seeing companies go from focusing on providing one good service like email and trying to become the next one corp fits all replacement for google. Instead of doing one thing extremely well it becomes a race to do as many things as they can and get people to replace one monolith with another.Proton is the most recent to make this shift and its obvious they want to be like google but with “privacy” as a gimmic because its only private until they get a government order telling them to do something to unmask a user or monitor an email.
I’m slowly moving my accounts over from gmail to protonmail.
Privacy should be the default, not the exception.
Step 1: Use an open source mail client that doesn’t contain trackers like FairEmail instead of Google’s app.
Step 2 (optional but recommended): Get another email service that respects privacy.
I’ve been enjoying FairEmail. Nice to have options like ‘would you like to remove sensitive data before attaching this image’ instead of ‘do you wish you could turn off this AI bloat’.
Ooooorrrrrr… You knowww… Delete or stop using your google account and their services?
Because if what actually bothers you is the idea that Google is spying on your things with Gemini…
First: lol. lmao even.
Second: Sorry for the laugh, but that’s because I believe that they don’t need gemini to do that, they do it anyway regardless of your settings.
Case in point, last year google was sentenced to pay a fine because they were collecting data from their users, even though those users had tracking turned off in their settings. And I believe it wasn’t the first time, but I can’t be arsed to search for older examples.
An ad company that has trackers almost everywhere on the web and tracks you even if you’re not using their services, that understanding and studying your behaviour is a central part of their business model; and you believe that they won’t spy and track you because you asked them not to? C’mon
Degoogling your self is a process and needs to be handled carefully. Realisticly, this quite difficult if your not a fruit phone user, but there is hope for people who arn’t neck deep in Apples walled garden. GraphenOS announced last year they would be expanding their range of supported devices. [Link]
Once that happens, closing the ol’ google account will be much easier or atleast use a modern smart phone without having it tied to the tornent nexus.
