It has been revealed that Apple provided the FBI with the email addresses and real names of users who were supposed to be hiding their email addresses through its 'Private Email' feature.



Apple offers a '

Sign in with Apple ' feature that allows users to keep their personal email addresses private. However, 404 Media has reported that Apple provided users' real names, which are supposed to be hidden by this feature, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Apple Gives FBI a User's Real Name Hidden Behind 'Hide My Email' Feature
https://www.404media.co/apple-gives-fbi-a-users-real-name-hidden-behind-hide-my-email-feature/



A joint investigation by independent media outlets Court Watch and 404 Media, which unearth often overlooked court records, has revealed that Apple provided the FBI with actual iCloud email addresses that were supposed to be hidden by the 'Hide Email' feature, which allows paid iCloud+ users to create anonymous email addresses.

While it's not surprising that Apple provided information at the request of government authorities, 404 Media points out that it offers unusual insights into what kind of user data Apple is providing that should be protected by its 'Private Email' feature.



According to reports, the FBI requested information from Apple while investigating a man who allegedly sent threatening emails to Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel.

The affidavit in this trial states that 'Around February 28, 2026, Person 1 received an email from the email address '[email protected]'.' According to the affidavit, Person 1 refers to Wilkins.

The email Wilkins received reportedly read, 'Do you know how happy I'll be when your shitty face gets ripped to shreds by an assault rifle? Time's running out, damn woman. Watch your back.'

According to the affidavit, Apple provided the FBI with records showing that the email address '[email protected]' was associated with an Apple account registered under the name 'Alden Ruml.' Apple also revealed that this account had generated 134 anonymized email addresses using the 'Hide Email' feature.



The FBI subsequently questioned Mr. Ramle as a suspect, and he reportedly admitted to sending the email. Mr. Ramle explained that he sent the threatening email after reading an article stating that the FBI was allocating its own resources to protect Mr. Wilkins. Although the title and URL of the article are not included in the affidavit, it is believed to be a report published in The New York Times on February 28, 2026.

Kash Patel's Girlfriend Seeks Fame and Fortune, Escorted by an FBI SWAT Team - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/us/politics/kash-patel-girlfriend.html



Apple also explains on its official support page that 'Using 'Private Email' allows you to keep your personal email address private.'

How to use 'Private Email' when signing in with Apple - Apple Support (Japan)
https://support.apple.com/ja-jp/105078



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in Software,   Web Service,   Smartphone, Posted by logu_ii