Email Privacy Guide

Email is one of the most common forms of digital communication, but standard email services like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook often scan your messages for advertising purposes and store your data on their servers without strong encryption.

The Problem with Standard Email Services

Most popular email providers:

• Scan the content of your emails to serve targeted advertisements
• Store your emails on their servers in a way that allows them to read them
• May share your data with third parties or government agencies
• Often link your email activity to your other online activities

Privacy-Focused Email Alternatives

ProtonMail

ProtonMail is one of the most popular secure email services, offering:

• End-to-end encryption for emails between ProtonMail users
• Zero-access encryption for all emails
• Based in Switzerland with strong privacy laws
• Free tier available with limited storage and features
• Open-source clients

Tutanota

Tutanota offers:

• End-to-end encryption for emails, contacts, and calendars
• Encrypted emails to external recipients possible
• Based in Germany
• Free tier available
• Open-source

Mailbox.org

A privacy-focused email provider that offers:

• Encrypted mailbox
• No advertising or tracking
• Based in Germany
• Includes calendar and cloud storage
• Paid service with reasonable pricing

How to Secure Your Email

Even if you use a secure email provider, there are additional steps you can take to enhance your email privacy:

1. Use PGP Encryption

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) allows you to encrypt the contents of your emails so that only the intended recipient can read them. Many secure email providers have PGP built-in, but you can also use it with standard email services.

2. Be Careful with Attachments

Email attachments can contain tracking pixels or malware. Consider using a secure file-sharing service instead, or encrypt sensitive attachments before sending them.

3. Use a Strong Password and 2FA

Protect your email account with a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever possible.

4. Consider Using Aliases

Email aliases allow you to create different email addresses that forward to your main inbox. This can help you:

• Compartmentalize your online identities
• Identify which services are selling your email address
• Easily block spam by disabling compromised aliases

Services like SimpleLogin or AnonAddy can help you manage email aliases.

How to Switch to a Secure Email Provider

Switching email providers can seem daunting, but following these steps can make the process smoother:

1. Sign up for a new secure email account
2. Import your contacts from your old email provider
3. Set up forwarding from your old email to your new one
4. Update your email address on important accounts
5. Notify your contacts about your new email address
6. Monitor both accounts during the transition period

Remember that the most secure option is to use encrypted email services for both the sender and recipient. When you send an email to someone using a standard email service like Gmail, that email may still be accessible to that provider once it reaches their servers.

Conclusion

Switching to a privacy-focused email provider is an important step in protecting your digital privacy. While no solution is perfect, using encrypted email services significantly reduces the amount of your personal data that is accessible to companies and potential hackers.

Start with small steps, like creating an account with a secure provider for your sensitive communications, and gradually transition more of your email activity as you become comfortable with the new system.