3 ms·

Can’t spammers still learn if you opened the mail by using unique per-recipient image file names?

by odysseus 4y ago

snotrockets 4y ago
They’ll learn you received it, not when you opened it (as the image is downloaded either way), and won’t be able to get any metadata (ip based location, browser headers). Gmail uses a similar technique to mask metadata, though iirc they do download the images only when the email is first read by the recipient.
- odysseus 4y ago
  If you don't open the email, and don't have the preview pane on, how would the image get downloaded either way? If you do open the email, and the spammer maps, say, snotrockets@example.com to a unique AD-SRE21234.JPG filename and that image within the email is displayed, no matter if it goes through Apple's relay or not, wouldn't the spammer then be able to validate your address is both valid and actively opening spam mail at whatever time you opened it?
justsomehnguy 4y ago
The only thing they could know if its were actually delivered. Image download would happen from a 3rd party and as soon as its received. So actual usability is quite low. They would spam you anyway, though.
acdha 4y ago
They can tell that you used an Apple device to receive the email. They can't tell whether you actually opened it, or when, or where. Not seeing the IP is also important for preventing linking: if you have data from other sources (your website, apps, etc.) this can link that activity to an identity for as long as your IP doesn't change. It's not perfect but that's the kind of thing advertisers like because they can see that, say, session A on a desktop computer which generated the email lead to session B on a phone which opened it and consider that all future activity linked to the session IDs from either client is the same person even when your phone moves to another network.

3 ms·

Can’t spammers still learn if you opened the mail by using unique per-recipient image file names?

by odysseus 4y ago

Can’t spammers still learn if you opened the mail by using unique per-recipient image file names?

snotrockets 4y ago
They’ll learn you received it, not when you opened it (as the image is downloaded either way), and won’t be able to get any metadata (ip based location, browser headers). Gmail uses a similar technique to mask metadata, though iirc they do download the images only when the email is first read by the recipient.
- odysseus 4y ago
  If you don't open the email, and don't have the preview pane on, how would the image get downloaded either way? If you do open the email, and the spammer maps, say, snotrockets@example.com to a unique AD-SRE21234.JPG filename and that image within the email is displayed, no matter if it goes through Apple's relay or not, wouldn't the spammer then be able to validate your address is both valid and actively opening spam mail at whatever time you opened it?
justsomehnguy 4y ago
The only thing they could know if its were actually delivered. Image download would happen from a 3rd party and as soon as its received. So actual usability is quite low. They would spam you anyway, though.
acdha 4y ago
They can tell that you used an Apple device to receive the email. They can't tell whether you actually opened it, or when, or where. Not seeing the IP is also important for preventing linking: if you have data from other sources (your website, apps, etc.) this can link that activity to an identity for as long as your IP doesn't change. It's not perfect but that's the kind of thing advertisers like because they can see that, say, session A on a desktop computer which generated the email lead to session B on a phone which opened it and consider that all future activity linked to the session IDs from either client is the same person even when your phone moves to another network.