Apple provided the FBI with the real iCloud email address hidden behind Apple’s ‘Hide My Email’ feature, which lets paying iCloud+ users generate anonymous email addresses, according to a recently filed court record.
Now can other aliasing services do the same? I imagine duck.com aliases would disclose the forwarding email based on their privacy policy. That is a lot less than the kyc info apple would give and it would be possible to be anonymous. https://fluffle.cc/kw99zyeck0f9wd4z
That’s why using services that allow you to sign up, access, pay, and use it anonymously is so important! Bless Proton & Tuta here, if email is still to be used for private and sensitive correspondence.
2 Likes
I don’t think SimpleLogin is an exception either. They will DEFINITELY give your identity to LE. Correct me if I am wrong.
They may give any info they have or store. If using with Proton, do they store this? Do they store the contents of the email if you’re only messaging other Proton emails/aliases?
valid search warrant
Non-story
Proton and Tuta will also give whatever information they have on you if presented with a court order like happened here.
Anyone will give whatever information they have on you when facing a court order. No one at these companies is going to jail for you.
1 Like
Yes it’s not hiding your real email from your email provider it’s just to stop ad services from correlating your accounts via email.
If you’re expecting these services to protect you from the FBI then you’re going to be very disappointed.
If it was up to me, I would stop services from asking for an email address in the first place so you wouldn’t need an aliasing service and you would be protected against this.
7 Likes
Lessons learned.
Since he was able to send from a hide my email alias this means his aliases were all forwarding to his unencrypted iCloud mailbox instead of a third party email. He should’ve had something like Hide My Email > SimpleLogin alias > Encrypted mailbox. Even then, sending a threatening email from a iCloud linked to you is just a basic opec failure.
Your email being discovered by LE via other legal processes/OSINT vs actually using your email to commit the crime are 2 different realms. No provider is protecting you if you are explicitly using the email to commit crimes.
A search warrant of his iCloud would reveal all his iCloud mail contents as it is not protected even with advanced data protection turned on.
This article is lowkey click bait because not a single soul expected apple to withhold this information. Hide My Email is not shielding your iCloud account information from authorities. He has his full name on his account and within his iCloud email. You can set your apple account name to Fart Face and will still be able to purchase apple products in person, you never have to put your real name.
Lastly, your own admissions hold more weight than anything.
1 Like
Yes I’m aware. But they collect so little info anyway if you set it anonymously, what can they give that will help the authorities?
They have very little to nothing if you maintain good OPSEC.
That’s what I was getting at.
Wait, the recipient of the threat is the FBI Directors girlfriend. Yea this person is a fool lol. I was confused why the FBI was wasting their time on a case like this, makes sense now. The email is barely even a threat.
Simple login can and WILL access your email in case of a warrant. I actually contacted support regarding this and they replied, they will access your account in case you need support or if they get a valid warrant from authorities.
1 Like
Can you explain what you mean by access your account here as you’re saying it?
1 Like