Apple's Hide My Email feature to become less effective with domain change

Apple plans to change its Hide My Email privacy feature, which could make it less effective at protecting users' anonymity. The feature, available to paying iCloud+ customers, generates anonymous email addresses under the @icloud.com domain that forward messages to a person's real email address. These private email addresses work because they are indistinguishable from regular Apple users with @icloud.com addresses.

Apple notified developers on Monday that it will move anonymously generated email addresses to @private.icloud.com in the coming weeks. This change will make it easier for apps and websites to identify and block private email addresses, potentially preventing users from signing up anonymously. Existing addresses will continue to function and forward mail without interruption, according to Apple.

However, app and email providers will need to update their filtering to ensure that emails to customers using the feature are not blocked. Some Apple users on Reddit criticized the change, saying it will make it more difficult to use the service. Apple did not respond to a request for comment about the change or explain why it was made.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Apple turned over the real account information of a user who generated an anonymized email address using Hide My Email to send an allegedly threatening email to the girlfriend of FBI director Kash Patel. The Trump administration has made efforts to unmask anonymous accounts, including those of Trump's critics, by using subpoenas to demand that tech companies turn over information about their users. Why this matters: The change to Apple's Hide My Email feature has significant implications for users who value anonymity online.

By making it easier for apps and websites to block private email addresses, Apple may inadvertently compromise the effectiveness of its own privacy feature. This move comes at a time when online anonymity is under increasing scrutiny, with governments and tech companies facing pressure to identify and track users. For developers and businesses, this change may require updates to their filtering systems to ensure that legitimate emails are not blocked.

For consumers, this could mean reduced options for anonymous sign-ups and potentially increased surveillance. As the digital rights conversation continues, questions remain about the balance between user anonymity and online accountability, and how tech companies like Apple will navigate these competing interests in the future.