TL;DR
Apple's recent change to the Sign in with Apple and Hide My Email services has made it easier for companies to block these email aliases. By issuing aliases on the @private.icloud.com subdomain, Apple has reduced the cost of banning these emails, which previously offered some privacy protection.
✦ Why It Matters
Engineers should be aware of potential changes in email alias acceptance that could affect user privacy and service integration.
Key Takeaways
Full Summary
Apple has announced that both Sign in with Apple and Hide My Email will now issue email aliases under the @private.icloud.com subdomain. This change simplifies the process for service providers to block these aliases, which previously provided users with a degree of anonymity and privacy.
The methodology behind this decision appears to be aimed at reducing abuse of the service, as banning these aliases was previously costly for companies. As a result, users may find that many online services refuse to accept these new email addresses, similar to the treatment of disposable email services.
Users of iCloud+ are encouraged to create additional aliases under the older @icloud.com domain before the change takes effect, as there is currently a limit of 30 aliases that can be generated per hour. This shift raises concerns about the overall privacy of iCloud users and the implications for online anonymity.
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