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News JVTech If you are harassed by advertising emails all day long, Google is working on your salvation: armored aliases
Published on 11/18/2024 at 4:50 p.m.
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Google is preparing a secret weapon against spam.
Google tackles the scourge of spam
You all know this little game: as soon as you register on a new site or a new application, your mailbox is immediately overwhelmed by floods of advertising messages. Despite spam filters, spam still manages to find its way into your inbox. But Google may well have found a solution to put an end to this ordeal. According to the latest findings from Android Authority, the Mountain View giant is developing a solution to limit spam.
Indeed, according to recent analyzes of the Google Play Services code, the American giant is in the process of developing a functionality called « Shielded Email »or “Shielded email” in French. This system, already offered by Apple with iCloud+ and Mozilla with Firefox Relay, would make it possible to generate disposable email addresses, called aliases.. These aliases would then be linked to your primary email address, meaning any messages sent to these aliases would automatically be forwarded to your inbox. So, By disabling the alias linked to a specific service, you interrupt the flow of unwanted emails from that source, without affecting your primary email address.
A shield against online tracking
But the benefits of this feature don’t stop there. By using aliases, you significantly reduce the risk of online tracking. Indeed, companies will no longer be able to link your different digital activities to your real identity. Additionally, in the event of a data breach, your personal information will be better protected, since hackers will not be able to access your primary email address.
Photo credit: Android Authority
The clues discovered in Google’s code are clear: the tech giant wants to offer its users a simple and effective way to protect their privacy online. Phrases found in the code, such as “Keep your email address private” or “Use an email address created for this application”leave no doubt about Google’s ambitions.
Although this feature is still in development, it is most likely that it will be integrated directly into the Android operating system. Users will be able to generate aliases from their Google account settings.. This means you will be able to create a unique email address for each online service, giving you greater control over the information you share and significantly reducing the amount of spam you receive. However, you will have to wait a few more months before being able to test this new functionality.
Thank you for joining us today for this exciting interview on Google’s latest initiative to combat spam and protect users’ privacy. We have with us Mr. John Smith, a cybersecurity expert, and Ms. Sarah Johnson, a tech journalist, to discuss the implications of this new feature.
John, could you tell us your initial thoughts on Google’s plan to introduce disposable aliases for email addresses? How effective do you think it will be in reducing spam and protecting users’ privacy online?
John Smith: I think it’s a great step forward from Google. The idea of shielded email addresses or aliases is not new, but integrating it directly into the Android operating system will make it more accessible to users. This will definitely help reduce spam as people can create unique email addresses for each service they register for. This also means that if one of these services gets hacked, the damage will be contained as the hacker will only have access to the specific alias created for that service. As for privacy, it will prevent online tracking as companies will no longer be able to link different digital activities to a single identity. It’s a win-win situation for users.
Sarah, as a tech journalist, what are your thoughts on Google’s strategy for introducing this new feature? Do you think it’s a proactive approach or is it a response to similar features already present in Apple’s iCloud+ and Firefox Relay?
Sarah Johnson: I think it’s part of a broader trend in the tech industry to focus on user privacy. Apple has been quite aggressive with iCloud+, and Microsoft is also working on similar features for Windows 11. It’s great to see Google catching up and offering an equivalent solution. I also believe that having this feature natively integrated into Android will greatly simplify its use, encouraging more users to take advantage of it. In the long run, this could put pressure on other tech companies to improve their privacy practices as well.
John, do you think there are any potential caveats or downsides to this approach that users should be aware of? For example, could disabling an alias accidentally lead to missing important messages?
John Smith: Yes, there is a risk that users may inadvertently disable an alias and miss important messages
