Nov 18, 2024 13:00:00

Possibility that Google will provide 'the function to generate alternative email addresses and hide real email addresses' to combat spam

Many people have experienced the email address used to register for various web services and SNS being leaked without their knowledge, resulting in a large amount of spam emails. Android Authority, a technology media outlet, has reported that Google may offer a new feature called 'Shielded Email,' which generates a temporary alternative email address when registering for a web service to hide the real email address.

Google Shielded Email could fight spam with email forwarding - Android Authority

https://www.androidauthority.com/google-shielded-email-3499803/

Google appears to be working on a better alias system for Gmail - gHacks Tech News
https://www.ghacks.net/2024/11/15/google-appears-to-be-working-on-a-better-alias-system-for-gmail/

In modern society, it is difficult to avoid registering an email address when using various services. If the registered email address is leaked for some reason, it may be misused to send spam emails.

Gmailhas a variety of features to filter spam, but it cannot prevent all spam.

Google

released version 24.45.33 of Google Play Developer Services on November 14, 2024 local time. When Android Authority examined this APK , it was found to support a new feature called 'Shielded Email.'

According to a message from Shielded Email, the feature consists of a system that creates disposable, or temporary, email aliases and forwards emails sent to these aliases to a primary email address.

Gmail already has an alias function that allows you to use multiple email addresses with one Google account. However, the email addresses that can be generated with this alias function are in the format '(original email address) + (new string) @gmail.com', so there was a problem that the original email address could be easily guessed.

Shielded Email solves this problem, and if your email address is being used to send spam, it appears you can stop forwarding from the Gmail app.

At the time of writing, the release date has not been decided, and it is possible that the release will be canceled after being provided to a small number of test users. Android Authority, which investigated the APK, reported that a 'Shielded Email' item had been added to the 'Google Autofill' settings screen.