An Ode to Apple’s Hide My Email (empty.coffee)

Article summary

The article discusses Apple's Hide My Email feature, which creates randomly generated email addresses on-the-fly to help protect user privacy. This feature is part of the iCloud+ service and is integrated across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS through Safari. The author praises the feature for its ability to reduce spam and protect user identity. The feature also allows users to reply to emails while remaining concealed behind the unique, random address.

Main themes

• email privacy
• spam protection
• alternative services
• big players vs small services
• email marketing
• data breaches
• class-action lawsuits
• contractual rights

What commenters say

• Some commenters appreciate the Hide My Email feature and use it extensively to avoid spam and protect their privacy.
• Others prefer alternative services like AnonAddy or SimpleLogin, which offer similar functionality and additional features.
• A few commenters have experienced issues with services selling or leaking their email addresses, despite using the Hide My Email feature.
• There is a debate about whether big players like Apple are necessary to make such services effective, or if smaller services can be just as useful.
• Some commenters suggest that email marketing is a major contributor to the problem of spam and privacy invasion.
• A few commenters have had negative experiences with specific services, such as Comcast, which they believe may be selling or leaking their email addresses.
• There is a discussion about the potential for class-action lawsuits against companies that engage in such practices.
• Some commenters question the effectiveness of contracts that require users to give up their rights to class-action lawsuits or jury trials.