The Real Cost of Our Digital Communications is Our Privacy.
1. Free is not free
With countless services offering “free” email accounts, it’s easy to assume that we can communicate without any cost. But companies that offer free email typically rely on advertising revenue, which means they collect vast amounts of data about our habits, interests, and communications. They use this information to tailor advertising, and that’s how they make money.
For example, Gmail, Yahoo and others scans the content of emails to provide targeted advertisements. While this might seem innocuous, it raises serious questions about privacy and data security. They analyze and store your emails, which may contain sensitive information. In essence, you pay for “free” email with your personal data.
2. Your Information becomes the Product
Not only do these companies scan your emails to identify keywords that can inform ad targeting, they also analyze your address book to create a more comprehensive user profile. In addition, tracking how you interact with the service helps companies refine their advertising strategies. While this may seem harmless, it raises significant privacy concerns. Companies can utilize your personal information, conversations, and contacts in ways you might not approve of, often without your explicit consent.
For instance, Google integrates data from Gmail with other services like Google Search, Google Drive, and YouTube. This comprehensive data collection creates a rich profile that includes more than just your email interactions.
3. Free Email Poses Security Risks
Free email services frequently pose security risks, primarily due to lack of encryption. While some providers encrypt emails during transmission to safeguard data from interception, this protection often doesn’t extend to end-to-end encryption or data stored on their servers. Consequently, although emails may be encrypted during certain parts of their journey, they can still be accessed in areas where encryption is lacking. This leaves sensitive information vulnerable to malicious actors who could exploit these gaps.
Strong encryption is crucial for business communications as it safeguards sensitive information from unauthorized access and cyber threats. In today’s digital landscape, businesses often share confidential data, financial details, and proprietary information via email or messaging platforms. Without robust encryption, hackers can intercept this information, leading to data breaches that harm both the company and its clients.
What can you do?
Opt for a paid email service. Runbox offers premium, reliable, privacy protected email at an affordable price. We prioritize security and privacy, and with multiple layers of protection in place, we safeguard your data against unauthorized access.
Privacy First
Your privacy is paramount at Runbox. Because we are based in Norway, your emails and personal data are protected by strict Norwegian and European data protection regulations. This means that your data is completely private and secure. We do not sell your data, we don’t track your usage, and we don’t share any of your personal information. Our terms of service explicitly state how your data will be handled. Runbox does not use any external tracking cookies to monitor usage, which means that no third party will know that you are using our services. Only you can access your data.
Security
At Runbox we employ several layers of security to protect your data, and have built multiple layers of redundant systems to keep our services reliable and responsive at all times. Our servers are housed in a highly secure data center in Norway, featuring 24/7 surveillance and advanced security systems. The facility includes fire suppression systems, electromagnetic protection, and intruder detection systems, and only authorized personnel are allowed access to our servers. We keep your data safe and secure with data protections, encrypted communications and strong authentication.
Reliability
Runbox prides itself on delivering exceptional reliability, and our email system ensures the safe and secure delivery of all email. We take snapshot backups daily to a secure, off-site location to ensure that your data can always be recovered in the event of an unlikely disaster or if you happen to unintentionally delete some of your email. Just let us know and we’ll restore your data for you. Continuous upgrades and monitoring systems ensure that any issues are promptly addressed.
Sustainability
Runbox is committed to connecting people across our planet consistent with strong ethical and environmental principles, and we strive to minimize our environmental impact. Our email servers and offices run on renewable hydro power and we actively recycle and repurpose outdated hardware. This ethical approach ensures that your email service is not only efficient but also environmentally responsible. In addition, we provide free email services to environmental non-profit organizations.
Ad free
Unlike many free email services that monetize user data through ads, Runbox offers an entirely ad-free experience. You won’t encounter intrusive advertisements, and we will never put hidden ads in your emails, allowing you to focus solely on your communications without distractions. Instead of generating our income by compromising your email communication with targeted ads, we charge a reasonable subscription fee up front (after a free trial, of course!)
We’ve been in the business since 2000, and we are dedicated to providing secure, reliable and sustainable solutions to individuals and businesses. Whether you’re just getting started or transitioning from another provider, the Runbox team is ready to assist you every step of the way. Investing in a paid email service will offer you greater peace of mind and security. Remember, if you’re not paying for a product, you might just be the product.
Try us out for 30 days. Subscribe here.
What’s your privacy worth?
