anonymous meta free email
22/08/2013
While on my search for anonymous and meta free email, I cam across this article at The Daily Dot.
It seems like Tor Mail could have been what I was looking for, even though it was based in the dark web. It’s now been closed down, apparently due to bad people carrying out sick nefarious activities that I wouldn’t want to be associated with… or the Feds made up lies to capture it, who knows?
Anyway, Tor mail is no more, but below are a few options that I look to test out, and it seems that looking for a solution on the clear web was quite naive.
With Tor Mail gone, how will the Dark Web communicate?
- BitMessage is a decentralized, encrypted and peer-to-peer messenger. This program has seen a surge in popularity since the Snowden leaks.
- TorChat is an easy-to-use anonymous messenger designed to fit nicely into the Tor environment. It has been widely used across the Dark Net spectrum since before Tor Mail’s fall.
- PrivNote is a Clear Net messenger service that deletes notes once they’re read. Silk Road vendor RxKing prefers this service, but others refuse to use it, citing multiple security concerns.
- SMS4TOR is a Tor-friendly version of PrivNote that has gained considerable traction thanks to its base a Tor hidden service.
- I2P-Bote uses the I2P anonymizing software to provide a decentralized, encrypted, verified email service. The service is only in alpha and, due to its reliance on I2P, will probably not be widely adopted.
- Privatdemail is an email service with a focus on privacy (as opposed to anonymity). Here’s a fun fact: You apparently can’t email Israel because the servers are located in an Arab country that forbids it. That policy will not inspire confidence, but even so, Privatdemail is already in use.
- RiseUp is an email service built for “liberatory social change.” Users must apply and be approved for accounts, proving that they are activists fighting for positive change, which is whatever RiseUp’s founders deem it to be. In exchange, RiseUp keeps minimal logs, encrypts your data and defends your communications unlike many corporate email services.
- Nym is a remailer that allows you to send encrypted emails without them being traced back to you, the sender.
- Mixmail is a remailer similar to Nym but is much easier to use. It strips out identifying factors like an IP address, making a quick, anonymous email an easy proposition.
- Jabber is a popular open-source, decentralized messaging system. It’s widely used by journalists already, particularly in the Middle East.
- Tox.im is a currently-in-development tool that promises to allow encrypted and decentralized video and text chat reminiscent of Skype—only without Microsoft allowing the American government to listen in as they do.