About Anonymous Email Accounts

Email is a fantastic communication tool. Sending an email is free and instantaneous. Emails are easy to send and easy to check. Emails are also wonderful because they can be anonymous, as long as the receiver doesn't know about the IP address attached to every email, which identifies the sender. If the receiver copies and pastes this IP address into a reverse IP lookup, your address and your identity can be tracked.

Significance

Anonymity can be sought for a variety of reasons. Sometimes an individual might be embarrassed to confess something, such as a crush or other admission. Other times, an individual might be afraid of the repercussions that might come from the message, such as when a worker tries to blow the whistle on an illegal operation at his workplace. Sending an email might seem quick and reliable, but the individual who reads your email can use your IP address to find out your identity.

Considerations

When sending an email, consider whether you want to receive a reply from the email. Sometimes you might want to send one email by itself; other times you might want to open an anonymous dialogue with another person. There's the chance that your recipient won't think of searching for your IP address, especially if she is not very knowledgeable about technology. Also, there are other ways you can be anonymous, such as slipping a typed message under a door. But if these methods aren't sufficient, you might want to look into getting an anonymous email account.

Prevention/Solution

Emails can be sent using an anonymous email remailer. When a message is sent this way, it is sent by the company that owns the anonymous email remailer. Therefore, anyone looking up the IP address will come up with only the company's address. Only the company knows the identity of the sender. As long as the law is not broken, the identity of the sender will not be compromised.

Features

Anonymous email remailers have various features. Some services allow you to create your own account; other services simply ask you to type your message and click "Send." The email services that have you create an account often allow you to receive replies from the recipient, and many services also allow you to send anonymous snail mail. These services also often allow you to send prefabricated template messages so that your writing can sound generic, preventing anyone from identifying you by your writing style. Some of these services require a subscription or charge a fee, but the majority of them are free.

Potential

Anonymous emails could be one of the greatest tools for those concerned with their right to privacy and free speech. The only way anyone can discover the identity of an anonymous sender is through a court order. Of course, those who wish to remain anonymous to the government should keep in mind that many of these email providers promise to turn over any information that is requested by the U.S. government.