1y ago

Proton Mail says that the new Outlook app for Windows is Microsoft's new data collection service - gHacks Tech News

www.ghacks.net

Hacker News @lemmy.smeargle.fans

bot @lemmy.smeargle.fans

BOT

1y ago

Proton Mail says Outlook for Windows is Microsoft's new data collection service

www.ghacks.net /2024/01/12/proton-mail-says-that-the-new-outlook-app-for-windows-is-microsofts-new-data-collection-service/

Privacy Guides @lemmy.one

Blaze @discuss.tchncs.de

1y ago

Proton Mail says that the new Outlook app for Windows is Microsoft's new data collection service

www.ghacks.net /2024/01/12/proton-mail-says-that-the-new-outlook-app-for-windows-is-microsofts-new-data-collection-service/

Technology @lemmy.world

Lee Duna @lemmy.nz

1y ago

Proton Mail says that the new Outlook app for Windows is Microsoft's new data collection service

www.ghacks.net /2024/01/12/proton-mail-says-that-the-new-outlook-app-for-windows-is-microsofts-new-data-collection-service/

38 comments

You cannot use the new Outlook app without syncing these data with Microsoft's servers, i.e. your usernames and passwords are sent to the company's cloud servers. While the data is sent using TLS, the IMAP and SMTP username and password are sent to Microsoft in plain text. This could allow the company to access your emails, and share the data with third-parties.
Not only that, but sending usernames and passwords in plaintext allows for MITM attacks.
- Not sure what difference that makes since the military uses the MS office suite for everything
- I expect what they mean is that the credentials are encrypted only in transit
- I think outlook iOS has been storing credentials on server since day one, even before it was acquired by Microsoft. I’m not sure what the new outlook app means.
Shocked, I tell you.
- Indeed. I smacked my head as I fell!
Pretty sure Windows 11 itself has become a data collection service at this point
- I think Windows XP probably was the start of it
Outlook and Gmail have always been data collection tools, apart from being spam magnets
- Weirdly enough, I have had less spam mail on my gmail account, than I have on the account of an e-mail provider from my country.
  
  Anyway, Gmail is a no go. From Google TOS
  “Our automated systems analyze your content (including emails) to provide you personally relevant product features, such as customized search results, tailored advertising, and spam and malware detection. This analysis occurs as the content is sent, received, and when it is stored.”
  As said, they read and analyze your mail, mainly to sell it to advertizing companies. Google make money with this.
  
  In my country popular free email providers send many spam messages to users by themselves, so inbox looks much worse than in gmail.
this title totally buries the ~~lead~~ lede: outlook has started displaying ads in inboxes, that’s the story and that’s what Proton was pointing out
- it's the lede:)
  
  damn i never knew! thank you
i love Proton but they kinda going after low hanging fruit on this one
- Low hanging fruit tastes just as good, and for a lot less work.
I don't doubt it... I am looking hard at ProtonMail for the fam... but $290 a year is a bit of a hit
- Have a look at Posteo. Might have all you need and starts at 1€/month. https://posteo.de/en
- I just checked the price, it seems like unlimited (with storage, vpn, pass etc) only cost $120 for the first year. And it is $156 for normal price.
  And if you only need mail, that only cost around $50 for the first year.
  Unless your $ doesn't mean U.S. dollar?
  
  He said for the "fam"
  I think he meant family package)
- It's quite good value, especially the 2-year plan, if you actually use all the stuff they offer. I got my family there, but they are still not to eager to integrate all there is into their routines.
Sending plain-text passwords is rather interesting, tho. Could've at least optionally encrypted 'em with a key derived from smth known by the user only.
Just use either the web version, PWA, or Thunderbird.
- I'm sure the PWA is the one that's being talked about here. Notice the "new Outlook app" in the title.
So obviously not to everyone's taste but if you have access to iCloud+ email, your mail isn’t scanned for sale (as per their US privacy agreement anyway), you get randomized email addresses available to give to places that you think might be spammy and you can link a domain to your account, although you’re only allowed 3 email boxes per user in your family per domain. Works well for me so far. Mind you because of photo storage size and devices backups I’m up to $3/ month from the original $1/month when I started.
Plus with Advanced Data Protection a lot of iCloud info is E2E encrypted. (Not email tho.)
Why the fuck is this an article and why the FUCK is this a post??
- Why you yellin tho.
- I think your first point totally valid and justified, though the second is a little more nuanced, including Proton Mail making promotional mileage out of some genuine privacy and potentially security related concerns.
- Explain.
  
  I hate these "news" articles which just summarize something else freely available on the Internet.
- It's both a security announcement and advertisement.

38 comments