Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Gmail Now Lets You Send Self-Destructing 'Confidential Mode' Emails From Your Phone (zdnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the out-now dept.

Google has rolled out its 'confidential mode' for setting a self-destruct date on email to mobile devices. From a report: Confidential mode came with the search company's big redesign of Gmail announced earlier this year and became the default for consumer Gmail users in July, while G Suite business customers still have a few months to make the switch. The data-protection feature is now available on mobile devices, Google announced via a tweet. Google promotes the Gmail feature as a way to protect sensitive information by allowing users to set an expiration date for individual messages or revoke access to messages already sent. The feature also prevents recipients from forwarding, copying, printing or downloading its content and allows users to require recipients to enter a one-time code sent via SMS to view the email. The authentication feature is intended to protect information in the event of the recipient's email account being hijacked. Further reading: Does Gmail's 'Confidential Mode' Go Far Enough?

3 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. How does it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... prevent one from (eg) photographing the screen?

  2. Guess what, there's an effective way around this! by bogaboga · · Score: 4, Insightful

    . Google promotes the Gmail feature as a way to protect sensitive information by allowing users to set an expiration date for individual messages or revoke access to messages already sent. The feature also prevents recipients from forwarding, copying, printing or downloading its content and allows users to require recipients to enter a one-time code sent via SMS to view the email. The authentication feature is intended to protect information in the event of the recipient's email account being hijacked.

    What's to prevent me from taking a snapshot of the entire email and later doing whatever I want anyway? Instead of improving Gmail's default interface, Google decides to "waste time" on features that don't really matter.

  3. Re:Guess what, there's an effective way around thi by tk77 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What's to prevent me from taking a snapshot of the entire email and later doing whatever I want anyway?

    Nothing, that works fine. I sent an a confidential email to an external account. Got a link to click (annoying) and wasn't able to get a print out as advertised (it printed "printing is not allowed"). I was however, able to take a screenshot using the built in macOS screen shot feature.

    I suppose it can prevent the email from being viewed past the expiration date in the event someone gains access to the recipients email, but it doesn't do anything to protect you from the recipient keeping a copy.