Can FReepers recommend a free or inexpensive EMAIL service which is not instituting facial biometric logons (looking to get away from GMAIL). Is PROTON email reasonable re security?

4/15/2024 | vanity

[ransomnote]

I've gotten a few FReepmails asking for email services recommendations and I don't have the technical background to either warn against or recommend such services. One FReeper said Google is soon going to implement facial recognition or thumbprint ID etc. - is there anything out there still 'reasonably' private and not shifting to biometrics...yet?

PS: Yes, I'm logged in. ;D

[BlackbirdSST]

raise your hand if you have your own email server — had my own for ~30 years

Hand raised.

[Gene Eric]

+1

[daniel1212]

I use Proton in addition to about 5 Gmail accounts. Proton has been good, yet promoting upgrades, but as long as they do not go to pay only after acquiring a vast user base like Imgur and Photobucket did, then it looks good, thank God.

[laker_dad]

Bookmark

[dohcacr]

I’ve been using zoho email for about 5 years it’s been stable, secure, full featured. Oddly, I have never encountered another individual with a zoho account. It is primarily focused on supporting the business world, but is free to individuals. I use zoho as my primary email and proton as my backup (that I’ve never had to use). No hassles, just good reliable email service.

[linMcHlp]

Reagan.com
Startmail.com

[jpsb]

me too

[Bikkuri]

I have been using Proton mail for a couple of years.
Great service and no problems.
If you take the time, you can even have Proton collect your mail from all of your other accounts, plus filter the mail for spam keywords so that you never even have to see them again.

There is a free version, but they are worth paying for.

[Bikkuri]

Before they added their own app, I used Thunderbird for Proton and all of my other email addresses.
The app cuts that out (unless you want to keep using Thunderbird).

[Bikkuri]

It’s called end-to-end encryption. As soon as the receiver gets it, it is unencrypted.

[LilFarmer]

I’ve been using fastmail for about 10 years or so, and have been very happy with it.

[AFB-XYZ]

Very cool, many thanks!

[Drago]

Only if the email recipient is also using Proton Mail...if not the email is only encrypted between the sender and Proton Mail.

[AF_Blue]

BFL

[ducttape45]

When you say, “they added their own app” are you referring to a program that is installed on a local PC? That’s how I view, file and compose my emails, whether it be Thunderbird or Outlook.

[ducttape45]

That process works if your using IMAP protocols for your email programs. IMAP keeps email on their servers and doesn't let the user actually download it to their PCs for storage. That's the way I prefer to do things. I don't want my emails to stay anywhere else but here locally. That's also why I never use "the Cloud" for data storage. Again, everything is kept here locally, with redundant backups kept safe in Faraday containers.

Call me "old fashioned" but in my view, my data is better kept secure with me, not with anyone else.

[sergeantdave]

No problems with Proton.

[citizen]

They do, unfortunately. I myself received a "notification" from Gmail today. All about how gosh-darn CONVENIENT the use of biometric account confirmation will be...

---

I have received no such email, today or recently.

Perhaps it's not sent to anyone who does not primarily use a device with a camera, such as a laptop/notebook/phone? I have no cam, nor do I want one.

[Bikkuri]

"When you say, “they added their own app” are you referring to a program that is installed on a local PC?"

Yes. It has it's own program, and it is simple, clean, and slick. They have it for Windows, Linux, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android.
It also include their calendar (hopefully, soon they will include 'Drive' too, you can use on your browser), which is a storage space (encrypted) that you can use. I store my important and backup files there).

[Bikkuri]

Here is what the app looks like (in dark mode):













(Plus all of the email addresses that I imported are below the folder (about 15, or so).)