Jake Peterson Jake Peterson Senior Technology Editor Experience Jake Peterson is Lifehacker’s Tech Editor, and has been covering tech news and how-tos for nearly a decade. His team covers all things technology, including AI, smartphones, computers, game consoles, and subscriptions. Read Full Bio May 28, 2026 Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google Credit: lilgrapher/Shutterstock Key Takeaways Proton announced a new integration with Gmail that lets users send and receive Gmail messages while retaining their privacy. When users connect their Gmail to Proton Mail, Proton strips away ads, spam, and trackers from messages. The move also blocks Google from spying on how users engage with their Gmail messages. If two Gmail users are communicating via Proton Mail, their messages will be end-to-end encrypted. Table of Contents As someone who cares about user privacy, I have thought a lot about ditching my Gmail account over the years.…