Sharing your email address carries the risk of opening it up to unwanted messages and spam. Fastmail aims to solve that problem by allowing users to hide their email address with the help of 1Password.
1Password launched its "Masked Email" feature today and has partnered with Fastmail, allowing users to create unique email addresses (aliases) rather than using their real one. It means you can generate new email addresses as and when you need them like we already do with passwords, and discard them just as easily. It also avoids the hassle of needing to find out how to unsubscribe from receiving emails you no longer want—just delete the alias instead.
“Email aliases are an underrated hero of digital privacy,” said Bron Gondwana, CEO of Fastmail. “Your email address is your online identity. If your credentials are compromised in a data breach, having a randomly generated email address adds a second line of defense because it can’t be associated with your primary email address, and therefore, your identity.”
Fastmail has an alias page where masked email addresses can be managed. They never expire, but it's easy to delete them, or alternatively pause them until you are ready to start receiving email through that alias again.
Troy Hunt, Strategic Advisor at 1Password and Founder of Have I Been Pwned, said "My service is now tracking 5 billion email addresses with each one appearing in an average of 2 data breaches. It’s more important than ever that we protect our privacy; and protecting the primary key to our digital lives – our email address – will have a really positive impact."
Fastmail is a premium email service provider, costing $3 per month for a Basic plan, $5 for a Standard plan, and $9 for a Professional plan with price discounts if you sign up for a year. In return, Fastmail promises no tracking, no ads, no data lock-in, and a wealth of features in an attempt to standout against the popular free alternatives out there.