Before, the emails were "me@icloud.com", the default for all apple users. There was no way to distinguish normal emails from generated private emails.

Now, they will be "blah@private.icloud.com", so it will be easy to ban the generated/private email that reduces the ability to associate logins across services.

Unclear why Apple would shoot themselves in this way; I hope it's not Ternus complying with anti-privacy.

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utilize1808 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

maybe to avoid getting their legitimate email servers banned by other servers since they host (i.e. being exploited) a growing number of spam accounts.

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SXX 6 hours ago | parent [-]

You cant send mail from Hide My Email aliases. They are only work one way.

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nielsbot 5 hours ago | parent [-]

You can send from Hide My Email addresses:

https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/use-hide-my-email-in-...

I think I've also seen this in Mail.app but that's not shown on this page.

	▲	SXX 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Wow my bad I wasnt aware its possible. I remember someone in HN comments complaining about it being one way only back in 2024. UPD: apperently this supposedly only work if someone message you first. So you still cant spam from aliases.

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snowe2010 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

But it’s not? Like if they block that subdomain, they will completely block Sign in with Apple.

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pseudalopex 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Many web sites and apps do not use Sign in with Apple. And they could block the domain for account creation with email without blocking the domain for account creation with Sign in with Apple. This would not make sense unless Apple changed what personal information Sign in with Apple provided probably. But they could.

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pokstad 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

You can use Hide My Email independently from Sign in with Apple.

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snowe2010 4 hours ago | parent [-]

I know that, but in doing so you prevent yourself from ever using Sign in with Apple

	▲	Grombobulous an hour ago \| parent [-]
		I think you as the user can use the aliases without Sign in with Apple though, right? But otherwise, you're right, any website that wants to accept Sign in with Apple will almost certainly be agreeing to Apple's TOS for Sign in with Apple I presume will stop you from blocking this service.

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mortenjorck 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I see – somehow the Apple UI for this gave me the mistaken impression that privaterelay.appleid.com was the domain used by the alias, but I see now that it was always just icloud.com.

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5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

[deleted]

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reaperducer 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Now, they will be "blah@private.icloud.com"

I've been in the ecosystem long enough to have .iCloud.com, .me, .mobileme.com, iTunes.com, and probably one or two more addresses all assigned by various Apple services over the years before they started unifying the systems.

They all work, and independently of one another.

I wonder if all the domains will be migrated, and how namespace collisions will be handled.

	▲	SXX 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Apple stated legacy aliases will work as is: > Existing addresses on the legacy domains will continue to work and forward mail to users without interruption.