Apple scraps plans to change Hide My Email feature

Apple has abandoned a controversial change planned for its Hide My Email privacy feature, intended for paid iCloud+ users. Initially, the company planned to change the domain of temporary email addresses, but this decision was reversed following strong user backlash. According to ixbt.com, the service will remain in its current state, and addresses will no longer be exposed. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports.

For context, the Hide My Email feature allows users to register on various websites and services without revealing their personal email address. The system automatically creates a unique, temporary email address and forwards incoming messages to the user's primary inbox. This is a key tool for ensuring personal data security online.

Why did the new domain cause backlash?

Earlier this year, Apple announced its intention to migrate service users from the @icloud.com domain to a new @private.icloud.com address. However, users on Reddit and other social networks argued that this change would significantly reduce the effectiveness of the privacy tool. It was criticized for making it easier for internet resources to identify and block registrations using fake emails.

The main advantage of the original service was that the generated private email addresses were indistinguishable from regular @icloud.com user addresses. Changing the domain could have undermined the core concept of the service. Nevertheless, the function still allows law enforcement agencies to identify the person behind a fake address when necessary.

What is behind Apple's decision?

On Monday, company representatives officially confirmed that Hide My Email addresses will remain on the @icloud.com domain. Apple did not provide specific reasons for this decision. However, according to John Gruber, author of Daring Fireball, who first reported on the change, even company employees were reportedly against it from the start.

Additionally, earlier this year, 404 Media reported a serious flaw in the Hide My Email feature. It was revealed that emails rejected as spam were exposing users' actual email addresses. Apple only managed to fix this bug a year after it was first discovered.