Paperweight

What is Paperweight?

Paperweight is a local-first desktop application that scans your inbox to map your digital footprint and help you take action on it. It identifies where your email data has been used (such as mailing lists and accounts), and supports follow-up actions like bulk unsubscribe, breach checking, and generating GDPR deletion requests.

Its core purpose is to support privacy workflows directly from your computer, with a stated design goal that emails stay local and that the code is open and auditable.

Key Features

• Inbox scanning to map your digital footprint: Paperweight reviews your inbox activity to build an inventory of organizations and services associated with your emails.
• Bulk unsubscribe: Unsubscribe from multiple mailing lists at once to reduce ongoing email exposure.
• Breach alerts: Highlights companies you use that have been breached, powered by Have I Been Pwned.
• Account inventory: Finds companies that have your data, helping you identify higher-risk accounts and services you may not remember.
• GDPR deletion request generator: Creates GDPR deletion requests using pre-filled templates and company contact information.
• Local-first, privacy-first operation: The page states that everything happens locally on your computer and that your emails never leave your machine.
• Open source: The source code is public and presented as auditable, with transparency emphasized as part of the product design.

How to Use Paperweight

1. Install Paperweight for your operating system (macOS, Windows, or Linux). The site provides platform-specific installation notes, including DMG drag-and-drop for macOS and AppImage or .deb options for Linux.
2. Connect an IMAP email provider. The site states it works with any IMAP provider; Gmail and Outlook are listed as examples, and iCloud is noted as “soon.”
3. Run an initial scan to map your digital footprint and view results such as messaging sources, mailing lists, and daily email trends.
4. Take actions based on what you find, such as bulk unsubscribe, checking breach alerts for companies you use, and using the GDPR request generator to prepare deletion requests.

Use Cases

• Clean up newsletters and mailing lists quickly: When your inbox is cluttered with ongoing list emails, use bulk unsubscribe to remove yourself from many mailing lists in one workflow.
• Assess exposure to known data breaches: Use breach alerts to see which companies tied to your email usage have been breached, with the alerts powered by Have I Been Pwned.
• Reconstruct where your data has gone: Use account inventory to identify organizations that have your data, including accounts and services you may no longer actively use.
• Prepare GDPR deletion requests: Generate GDPR deletion request messages with pre-filled templates and selected organization contacts, then copy or open the generated email template.
• Review inbox trends at a glance: Review messages, mailing lists, and daily email trends synced into the app’s interface to understand ongoing changes.

FAQ

• Does Paperweight require a specific email provider? The product states it works with any IMAP provider. Gmail and Outlook are listed, and iCloud is described as “soon.”

• Is Paperweight a local-first app? Yes. The page states that everything happens locally on your computer and that your emails never leave your machine.

• What does “breach alerts” mean in Paperweight? Paperweight can show which companies you use have been breached, and it is powered by Have I Been Pwned.

• Can Paperweight help with GDPR deletion requests? Yes. It includes a GDPR deletion request generator with pre-filled templates and company contacts, allowing you to copy or open generated templates.

• Is there a trial or free version? The site says there is a free trial: “Free to try” with all features included for 30 days, and a free tier is shown with core features included.

Alternatives

• IMAP-based email management and unsubscribe tools: These focus on improving inbox hygiene by finding and unsubscribing from mailing lists, typically without the same combination of breach checks and a GDPR request generator.
• Password and account security platforms with breach checking: These help users assess exposure for accounts and credentials, but may not map inbox-derived mailing list usage or generate GDPR deletion templates.
• Privacy-focused local auditing tools for email/data inventories: Instead of a dedicated “email footprint” scan, some tools focus on exporting and auditing personal data across services; workflows may differ because they may not start from inbox content.
• GDPR request generators and privacy request workflows: Standalone request tools help draft or send access/deletion requests, but may not include the inbox scanning and unsubscribe/account inventory features that Paperweight combines.