Mail Privacy Protection

[JOhnH]

Has anyone else seen this? I recently upgraded to IOS 15.3.1
What choice would you make, other than the one I did. I closed the window and proceeded to read my mail on another device.

I just opened MAIL on my Ipad and received a pop up that requires I answer yes or no before I can proceed.
Option 1: Protect Mail activity. Hide IP address and privately load al remote content.
Option 2: Don't protect Mail activity. Show IP address and load any remote content directly on your device.

The CONTINUE button is grayed out until I select one of the options.

The only choice is to click "Learn More" which gives another popup that describes the process and at the end says:

By using these features you agree and consent to Apple's and its subsidiaries' and agents' transmission, collection, maintenance, processing and use of this information as described above"

 

[JOhnH]

Replying to my own post:
I'm sure that all those terms and conditions have probably always applied. Now they just have to specifically ask you. Even so, I am now on a mission to find a good, paid (but reasonable) alternative.

 

[Sifossifoco]

You could try protonmail.com, if privacy is a concern. End-to-end encrypted transmission, zero-knowledge encrypted storage, open source, based in Switzerland and it is also reasonably priced.

 

[murphey]

I have never used Apple mail. Even so, will look into protonmail.

 

[JOhnH]

You could try protonmail.com, if privacy is a concern. End-to-end encrypted transmission, zero-knowledge encrypted storage, open source, based in Switzerland and it is also reasonably priced.

I've seen that recommended before. I will look into it. Thanks.

 

[JScarry]

Option 1 will prevent trackers that marketing firms put into emails. If you don’t want them to know that you opened the mail, select that option. If you don’t care that marketers know that you’ve opened their email, choose Option 2.

If you value privacy this option is better than the old one that just blocked remote content because it hides your IP address when it loads the images. It does mean that images are loaded for all mail so that could be a nuisance if you get a lot of junk on a phone.
I personally stick with block all remote content and hide IP address. You can change your preferences at any time in the Privacy tab of mail.

 

[mandm]

When you open an email, it is tracked, every day/time that you open the email and your location/IP. This information is also provided to the sender and used in data mining for whatever purposes, usually to market you. Lots of IF, THEN statements that cause another action. Also when you forward the email, it is tracked. Apple is merely telling you what already has been happening for years.

 

[flyingron]

The email itself can't be tracked (unless your mail provider is very insecure). What this refers to is any linked images that are in the message. The mail marketing engines all insert things in the guise of being images that have unique strings in them that when you download them to display lets them know you're reading the email. Almost all the mail readers offer some sort of protection about this (typically just not downloading things unless you specifically request it).

 

[mandm]

If you set all of your inbound emails to not display images then maybe, but in my experience most people do display images and therefore everything is tracked. Also when you click an unsubscribe link, that is tracked. A lot more is tracked than what you think.

 

[Sifossifoco]

When you open an email, it is tracked, every day/time that you open the email and your location/IP. This information is also provided to the sender and used in data mining for whatever purposes, usually to market you. Lots of IF, THEN statements that cause another action. Also when you forward the email, it is tracked. Apple is merely telling you what already has been happening for years.

That is why Protonmail is a good product. They remove trackers, and load pics on a generic proxy server.
More information here:
https://protonmail.com/support/knowledge-base/email-tracker-protection/
It is still possible to be tracked, but it becomes much harder.

 

[flyingron]

Which is what the apple mail popup is offering to do as well.

 

[JOhnH]

Which is what the apple mail popup is offering to do as well.

The think that ****ed me off the most was the fact that you couldn't exit the popup to research whether the message itself was some sort of spam or malware, unless you just kill the window, like I did.

 

[bluesideup]

couldn't exit the popup to research whether the message itself was some sort of spam or malware, unless you just kill the window,

Hi.
Did you try to pen another instance of you Browser and the check it?

 

[NoHeat]

Settings > Mail > Privacy Protection

Is that what we’re talking about? It seems like a good thing to turn on.