Apple is changing Hide My Email, and privacy advocates may not like it

As governments around the world debate online safety, misinformation and age restrictions, the broader fight over privacy and anonymity on the internet is becoming more intense. And as these developments unfold, Apple is planning a change to the Hide My Email feature that could make it easier for apps and websites to block anonymous users. Apple’s Hide My Email is an iCloud+ feature that allows users to hide their real email addresses when creating online accounts.
Instead of sharing a personal email ID, users are given an anonymous email address under the @icloud.com domain. Emails sent to this anonymous address are then automatically forwarded to the user’s real email account.
The feature has become popular among users who want to avoid spam, protect their identity or simply keep their primary email address private.
Apple said in a note to developers on Monday that, in the coming weeks, it will move its anonymously generated email addresses to a new domain: @private.icloud.com.
At first glance, the change may seem minor. Existing addresses will continue to function and forward emails without interruption, according to Apple.
But the switch could have an important consequence.
Because all anonymous email addresses will now use a clearly identifiable domain, apps and websites may find it easier to determine whether a user is signing up with a private email address and could choose to block such accounts.
In other words, a feature designed to help users stay anonymous may become easier to identify.
Apple’s latest change highlights a growing tension at the heart of the modern internet: users want more privacy, while governments and online platforms increasingly want to know exactly who is on the other side of the screen.
Apple said existing Hide My Email addresses will continue to work as before and that emails will keep forwarding without interruption.
The company also said app developers and email providers would need to update their filtering systems to ensure emails sent to customers using the feature continue to go through.