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Gmail confidential mode

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Re: Gmail confidential mode

#11

Post by stingraycharles »

a012 wrote: post #10
halayli wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Note: Although confidential mode helps prevent the recipients from accidentally sharing your email, it doesn't prevent recipients from taking screenshots or photos of your messages or attachments. Recipients who have malicious programs on their computer may still be able to copy or download your messages or attachments. it's not a security feature. it's to help prevent users shooting themselves in the foot.

Can you explain how "removing options for recipients to forward, copy, print, and download" could "help prevent users shooting themselves in the foot"?

Not sure why you’re being downvoted. To me it seems only to increase the chance for users to shoot themselves in the foot, as they now have a false sense of security.

Re: Gmail confidential mode

#12

Post by newsbinator »

I love the concept as a sender, I hate the concept as a receiver.

It means a ton more mental overhead: "do I need to jot down the info from this email somewhere (manually?) now because at some point it's going to expire or my access is going to be revoked?".

Frustrating. It's the opposite of all the benefits of gMail search.

Re: Gmail confidential mode

#13

Post by lozaning »

a012 wrote: post #10
halayli wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Note: Although confidential mode helps prevent the recipients from accidentally sharing your email, it doesn't prevent recipients from taking screenshots or photos of your messages or attachments. Recipients who have malicious programs on their computer may still be able to copy or download your messages or attachments. it's not a security feature. it's to help prevent users shooting themselves in the foot.

Can you explain how "removing options for recipients to forward, copy, print, and download" could "help prevent users shooting themselves in the foot"?

I get a bunch of information through emails at work that Im not allowed to share outside the company, and tons of others that I need to send to people outside the company. If the people sending me the internal company emails mark them as such, I can be sure I never inadvertently forward the wrong emails to the wrong group.

I think the threat model is about catching your own mistakes, not preventing bad actors from acting.

Re: Gmail confidential mode

#14

Post by duchenne »

ktpsns wrote: post #2

> removing options for recipients to forward, copy, print, and download Oh please... Everybody can do a screenshot nowadays, and even Google itself integrated OCR into its Screenshot tool at Android a few years ago. What a waste of time to make the life of people harder who must use this "security" feature!

Yes, this system does not seem to prevent the information from spreading.

I guess that the logic is that most people who know how to make a screenshot also know how to make a fake screenshot.

So, let's say that Mr A is not a very honest guy. Moreover, Mr A has a sensitive document that could be a liability in court. He wants to share it with Mr B. But, he does not completely trust Mr B. With this system, he can share it. If Mr B sends a screenshot to the police or a judge, it will be easier for Mr A to claim that the screenshot is fake.

That's just a guess... I hope that it was not the intent of the dev, though.

Re: Gmail confidential mode

#16

Post by ymolodtsov »

a012 wrote: post #10
halayli wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Note: Although confidential mode helps prevent the recipients from accidentally sharing your email, it doesn't prevent recipients from taking screenshots or photos of your messages or attachments. Recipients who have malicious programs on their computer may still be able to copy or download your messages or attachments. it's not a security feature. it's to help prevent users shooting themselves in the foot.

Can you explain how "removing options for recipients to forward, copy, print, and download" could "help prevent users shooting themselves in the foot"?

The most important security feature is just the fact that email won’t be saved in that account. I had cases when I had to send or receive a small piece of sensitive data (SSN, bank account details) and we used Virtru for that. Now we can just send in Gmail.

Re: Gmail confidential mode

#17

Post by bambax »

This is very bad and makes me angry. If you send me an email I need to not worry about being able to save the information forever. Once somebody sends out something it is no longer theirs. But now the cancer of DRM leaks into our personal lives???!?

At the very least receivers should be able to automatically reject any such email.

Re: Gmail confidential mode

#19

Post by reustle »

ktpsns wrote: post #2

> removing options for recipients to forward, copy, print, and download Oh please... Everybody can do a screenshot nowadays, and even Google itself integrated OCR into its Screenshot tool at Android a few years ago. What a waste of time to make the life of people harder who must use this "security" feature!

The Airbnb app prevents screenshots on certain pages on the OS level on Android, I'm sure the Gmail app will do the same.
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