IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Proton spam and the AI consent problem

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Here is a summary of the 4 most prevalent themes from the Hacker News discussion.

1. Widespread Rejection of "AI Everywhere"

Users express fatigue and resistance to the aggressive integration of AI into all products, viewing it as non-consensual and often detrimental to user experience.

"Has anyone else noticed that the AI industry can’t take “no” for an answer? AI is being force-fed into every corner of tech. It’s unfathomable to them that some of us aren’t interested." — Terr_

"The really strange thing is that so much of it doesn't work. Like I get that the SOTA models perform some tasks quite well and have some real value. But the AI being implemented in every corner creates a lot of really bad results." — hattmall

2. The Destructive Nature of Enshittification

Many participants frame these marketing tactics as symptoms of "enshittification," where companies prioritize growth and hype over user trust, ultimately degrading their products and user relationships.

"I can't help but see the spam as more circumstantial evidence of a bubble, where top-down "pump those numbers" priorities overrides regular process." — Terr_

"This is, btw., a real example. I used a Word document generator with TypingMind and GPT-4 via API, and it was more usable over a year ago than Copilot is even now." — TeMPOraL

3. The Failure of "Consent" in Modern Tech

The discussion highlights how companies deliberately design marketing and subscription settings to ignore user preferences, creating a systemic disrespect for user consent.

"Do tech companies understand consent?:
- [ ] Yes
- [ ] Ask me again in a few days" — littlecranky67

"I don’t know about you, but I think that’s baloney. Proton Support had five full business days to come up with a better excuse. Please tell me, how can I have been any more explicit about opting out of Lumo emails..." — osmsucks

4. The Collapse of "Privacy-First" Brand Promises

Users expressed disappointment and betrayal when privacy-focused companies like Proton adopt the same aggressive marketing tactics as "big tech," eroding the trust that defined their brands.

"It’s bewildering to see privacy-focused companies like Proton and DDG jump on the AI train. I guess privacy is just a vehicle for attracting early adopters, and all those principles fall apart once their user base becomes large enough." — TonyStr

"I've been using Tuta for years. No complaints" — guilhermesfc (implying a migration away from Proton due to these issues)

🚀 Project Ideas

Generating project ideas…

AI-Specific Email Consent Enforcer

Summary

  • A browser extension or email client plugin that creates separate, non-configurable consent categories specifically for AI-related marketing emails.
  • Core value proposition: It prevents companies from sneaking AI product announcements into "product updates" or "important announcements" lists that users cannot fully opt out of.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Privacy-conscious users, professionals tired of AI marketing spam, and anyone who wants granular control over their inbox.
Core Feature Automatically detects and segregates marketing emails containing AI-related keywords (e.g., "Lumo," "Copilot," "AI Assistant") into a dedicated folder or tag, bypassing standard categorization.
Tech Stack Browser extension (JavaScript/Manifest V3) or Local Email Agent (Python/Go) using regex and keyword matching against email headers and bodies.
Difficulty Low
Monetization Hobby (Open Source)

Notes

  • HN commenters like hsbauauvhabzb and SCdF expressed frustration with services adding "new marketing preferences which are defaulted to ‘enabled’" and the inability to turn off AI features in Google Workspace.
  • This tool directly addresses the "non-consent" issue raised by Terr_ by giving users a definitive "no" to AI marketing, regardless of how the service provider categorizes the email.

Cross-Platform Tracking Pixel Blocker

Summary

  • A lightweight proxy or local network daemon that scrubs outbound email requests to remove tracking pixels and beacon calls before they reach the user's client.
  • Core value proposition: It stops companies like LinkedIn from knowing if you’ve "read" their email, preventing them from sending follow-up nag emails claiming "delivery issues" based on image loading behavior.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Users concerned with privacy analytics, people using "dumb" email clients, and those tired of email nagging.
Core Feature Intercepts HTTP requests for images within emails and replaces them with local placeholders or dummy requests that return 200 OK without revealing the user's IP or open status.
Tech Stack Go or Rust for the proxy daemon; configuration via DNS (Pi-hole integration) or local firewall rules.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby (Open Source)

Notes

  • Sharlin and mnw21cam discussed how companies use tracking pixels to infer if emails are being seen, leading to "these messages aren't getting through to you" notifications.
  • dwedge noted that their firewall prevents these pixels, but the tool would benefit the average user who relies on standard email clients that auto-load remote content.

"Silence is Disagreement" ToS Tracker

Summary

  • A searchable public database and automated web scraper that monitors privacy policies and Terms of Service updates for major platforms, highlighting changes that assume consent through inaction.
  • Core value proposition: It flags "dark patterns" where silence is treated as agreement (a practice littlecranky67 argued should be changed), alerting users before their data is implicitly shared under new terms.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Legal tech enthusiasts, privacy advocates, and users who want to stay informed about data policy changes without reading dense legalese.
Core Feature Diffing algorithm for ToS documents with a UI that highlights "consent via silence" clauses and specific marketing permission changes.
Tech Stack Python (BeautifulSoup/Scrapy) for scraping, PostgreSQL for storage, React for the frontend dashboard.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Freemium model (Basic alerts free; detailed legal analysis and compliance reports for businesses).

Notes

  • littlecranky67 explicitly requested a law change where "silence is disagreement" applies to ToS changes.
  • chrisjj noted that major providers (like Microsoft) rarely get fined for GDPR violations despite clear breaches. This tool would empower users to identify and report these violations more effectively.

Proton-Style "Feature Toggle" Auditer

Summary

  • A SaaS tool that scans connected accounts (Proton, GitHub, LinkedIn, etc.) to audit exactly which "optional" features (like AI assistants or new newsletters) are actually enabled by default.
  • Core value proposition: It solves the frustration expressed by Tepix regarding GitHub and Terr_ regarding the AI industry, where "optional" features are actually mandatory or buried in settings.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Power users with multiple SaaS subscriptions who want to minimize digital clutter and unwanted intrusions.
Core Feature OAuth-based integration to read notification settings and flag "shadow" subscriptions or toggles that were enabled without explicit user action.
Tech Stack Node.js/TypeScript (backend), Chrome Extension (frontend), utilizing official APIs where available.
Difficulty Low (MVP) to High (Full Integration support)
Monetization Revenue-ready: Subscription model ($2/month) for continuous monitoring and automated disable requests.

Notes

  • Tepix described a "dark pattern" where GitHub created a new newsletter list and subscribed users to it automatically.
  • fundatus mentioned that Proton users often wonder if they are subscribed to new features without consent. This tool provides objective visibility into those settings.

"Marketing Loophole" Reporter

Summary

  • A browser extension that simplifies reporting emails to regulatory bodies (FTC, ICO, GDPR authorities) by automatically formatting complaints based on specific "loophole" tactics used by marketers.
  • Core value proposition: It addresses the issue raised by duskdozer and pil0u regarding financial providers claiming "this is not marketing" to bypass unsubscribe laws, streamlining the legal reporting process.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Users in regulated regions (EU/US) who want to hold companies accountable for GDPR/CAN-SPAM violations.
Core Feature One-click reporting that extracts email headers, identifies the specific violation (e.g., "fake transactional email," "hidden unsubscribe"), and populates regulatory complaint forms.
Tech Stack Browser Extension (JavaScript) with pre-filled templates for major regulatory bodies.
Difficulty Low
Monetization Hobby (Free)

Notes

  • duskdozer provided a specific example of financial providers sending "blatant marketing emails with no unsubscribe option" under the guise of "these emails are not marketing."
  • gingerlime and amarcheschi expressed frustration with the tedious process of filing GDPR complaints; this tool lowers the barrier to entry for enforcement.

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