Emails you receive may include remote content that allows the email’s sender to learn information about you. When you open an email, information about your Mail activity can be collected by the sender without transparency and an ability to control what information is shared. Email senders may learn when and how many times you opened their email, whether you forwarded the email, your Internet Protocol (IP) address, and other data that can be used to build a profile of your behaviour and learn your location.

Protect Mail Activity helps protect your privacy by preventing email senders, including Apple, from learning information about your Mail activity. When you receive an email in the Mail app or Mail on iCloud.com, rather than only downloading remote content when you open an email, Protect Mail Activity downloads remote content in the background by default — regardless of whether you engage with the email. Apple does not learn any information about third-party Mail content.

In addition, Protect Mail Activity routes all remote content downloaded by Mail through two separate relays operated by different entities. The first knows your IP address, but not any third-party Mail content you receive. The second knows the remote Mail content you receive, but not your IP address, instead providing a generalised identity to the destination. This way, no single entity has the information to identify both you and the third-party Mail content you receive. Senders can’t use your IP address as a unique identifier to connect your activity across websites or apps to build a profile about you.

You can disable Protect Mail Activity at any time on your iOS or iPadOS device by going to Settings > Mail > Privacy Protection, then tapping to turn off Protect Mail Activity. On your visionOS device, go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Privacy Protection, then tap to turn off Protect Mail Activity. On Mac, go to Mail > Settings > Privacy, then unselect Protect Mail Activity. Protect Mail Activity has its own settings for Mail on iCloud.com. On iCloud.com, go to Settings > Privacy & Security, then unselect Protect Mail Activity.

If you choose to disable Protect Mail Activity, the Hide IP Address feature will still mask your IP address using the same two-separate-internet-relays design. You can disable Hide IP Address at any time on your iOS or iPadOS device by going to Settings > Mail > Privacy Protection, then tapping to turn off Hide IP Address. On your visionOS device, go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Privacy Protection, then tap to turn off Hide IP Address. On Mac, go to Mail > Settings > Privacy, then unselect Hide IP Address. On iCloud.com, you can disable Hide IP Address by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > then unselect Hide IP Address.

By using these features, you agree and consent to Apple’s and its subsidiaries’ and agents’ transmission, collection, maintenance, processing and use of this information as described above.

At all times, information collected by Apple will be treated in accordance with Apple’s Privacy Policy, which can be found at www.apple.com/au/privacy

Published Date: September 20, 2024