[tor-talk] Email provider for privacy-minded folk

[Joe Btfsplk]

On 2/11/2013 6:47 PM, bvvq wrote:
> Hi tor-talk,
>
> I'm not sure where else to ask this question so I give my apologies if 
> this is off-topic. Please feel free to suggest a better 
> list/forum/website.
>
> I've had a personal email account with GMail since it was invite-only, 
> but lately I've read a few stories about Google's use of our emails to 
> provide better targeted advertising to its users. These stories make 
> me uncomfortable and, continuing with my (slow) changeover from Google 
> services and products, I would like to change.
>
> In no particular order, what I would like from the email provider is:
>
>  * Privacy-conscious (don't parse my emails to target advertisements 
> to users)
>  * Reasonable storage space (I have currently have 418 emails using 
> ~100MB in my personal GMail account)
>  * Don't close the account if I don't log in with the web interface in 
> {X} days
>  * IMAP preferred but POP will suffice
>  * Free would be nice (I don't want to lose my email account if I lose 
> my job)
>
> Anonymous-/encryption-type services offered by HushMail or Safe-Mail 
> aren't a priority for me; I mostly want something reliable, 
> long-lasting, and not doing a Google on my emails.
>
> I appreciate your advice.
>
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>
Hello,
Though I don't use them - yet, Lavabit is more serious about privacy, & 
has reasonable storage (nothing as large as gmail).
Riseup.net is VERY serious about privacy.  In fact, you have to "apply" 
for an acct.  They have fairly small storage limits.  But w/ any 
provider, you can always d/l & store important msgs.

Here's an article someone pointed out on email providers & privacy; if 
allow signing up w/ Tor, etc.: the_simple_computer 
<http://www.thesimplecomputer.info/articles/email-for-privacy.html>
They all have + & -, depending on needs.  For many, if read TOS & 
Privacy Policy closely, they may be better than gmail, but not as 
private as their hype says.

I took the info from The Simple Computer article & made a chart, plus 
current data (some not in the article) from several providers' sites.  
If anyone was interested & if I knew how to (easily) get it uploaded - 
somewhere - I could do that.  It's not the be all & end all, but has 
current info on several providers, including how long they retain data.  
It's now in pdf and / or .ODT format.  I don't know if it's possible to 
attach small files to tor-talk emails.