Earlier this year, we announced that we were testing a new way for Firefox Relay users to access their email masks directly from Firefox. Today, we’re taking it to the next level and rolling this feature over the next couple of weeks out to millions of Firefox Account users in Firefox. Signing up for a Firefox Account is free and has its advantages, and it now includes access to email protection with Firefox Relay.
Throughout the year, we’ve been working on making it easier to get email protection in Firefox. In May, we added new features to the Firefox Relay add-on that enabled users to see Firefox Relay in their toolbar for every site, reuse existing email masks and generate a new random email mask. Keeping your real email address safe from trackers across the web is one of the key steps you can take to keep your personal information safe.
Online protection hacks from the people that brought you Firefox Relay
If you haven’t yet tried Firefox Relay, hear from our Firefox Relay team of engineers and colleagues, who can share more about how they use Firefox Relay in their lives. They built and maintain Firefox Relay, not only for themselves, but to also help keep millions of unwanted emails from people’s inboxes. Here is a list of hacks you might encounter when you go online and ways that Firefox Relay can help:
- If you need to create an email address for things like completing surveys:
- “The main difference between Relay addresses and regular email addresses is that there’s no need to get attached to the former. It’s really liberating to be able to deactivate an email address that has served its purpose with a single button press.”
- If you need to share your email address on social media or a public site, but don’t want to use one that’s tied to all your accounts (credit card, banking, streaming services or shopping):
- “I’ve seen someone ask a question on social media, and add a Relay address for people to get in touch. I thought that was great: It allowed them to be contacted via email in the short term, without having their email address out there forever. They could simply throw away the Relay address when they were done!”
- If you have a busy life and your personal motto is “the more, the merrier”:
- “At the time of writing, I’ve got 143 email masks — once you get into the habit of using them, it’s quite amazing how often you get asked for your email address. Let’s see, what have I used them for… I see lots of concerts, museums, and purchase other tickets, hotel reservations, newsletters, online courses — lots of things, really!”
- If you’re worried about data breaches, and want to minimize the effects of data leaks:
- “Your email address is used to track you online and companies create profiles of information about you and your online behaviors, and it’s used in pretty shady ways. Using a relay mask breaks that connection.”
- If the thought of multiple email addresses tied to multiple email inboxes is just too much to organize:
- “As for keeping your masks organized: honestly, there’s not much organization to do. Firefox will remember which mask you used where, and help you pick the right one.”
- If you have one email address and learning how a new service or product works simply frightens you, yet you want to learn ways to keep your personal information like your email address safe:
- “Firefox Relay is right there when a site asks for your email address. Just choose ‘Protect your email address’ from the drop-down. (If you don’t see it immediately, you can always right-click and choose Relay to make a mask for any form field.)”
Thousands of users have signed up for our smart, easy solution that hides their real email address to help protect their identity. Wherever you go online, Mozilla’s trusted products and services can help you feel safer knowing that you have privacy protection for your everyday online life.
If you don’t have Firefox Relay, you can subscribe today from the Firefox Relay site.
The post Protect your information with email masks now available in Firefox appeared first on The Mozilla Blog.
Original article written by Jenifer Boscacci >
