Advanced privacy IP address TOR VPN gets free.fr email addresses blocked by the provider without clear explaination
- /e/ version: 1.0
The TOR network used to hide the original IP address is recognized by @free.fr as one used to attack their client's email addresses : as soon as their email server is reached while advanced privacy IP hiding is ON, the email address will be blocked with a message saying it has been hacked.
This is a big problem for normal users of /e/ OS as they will very probably use at least once the IP address hiding function and it will definitely block their main email address not knowing what caused it.
The best solution would be to deactivate the IP address hiding for the mail app by DEFAULT and to add a warning when setting it ON.
This behaviour has been tested on 4 different email addresses @free.fr and the issue was reproduced at each try.
Description
With https://gitlab.e.foundation/e/os/backlog/-/issues/568 users will be able to activate each protection feature of Advanced Privacy independently so there won't be anymore default activation that could result in blocking an email address.
To inform the user about the risk and consequences of the activation of each protection feature, the following messages should be displayed in a pop-up when the users enables the corresponding feature whether it is from the widget with the individual toggles, the app home screen with the individual toggles or the feature dedicated screen (possible only for "Manage my location" and "Manage my Internet address"). Each pop-up contains a message and one or two buttons. At the bottom of the pop-up there is a check box labelled Do not show again. When the user checks this check box before clicking on one of the buttons, the pop-up doesn't appear anymore afterwards.
| Trackers control | Fake my location | Hide my IP |
|---|---|---|
| While this option is active, in some rare cases, some apps may not work properly. If you encounter any problems, you can disable tracker control for specific apps or trackers at anytime. | While this option is active, some apps that rely on your real location may not work properly. It's recommended to enable it only occasionally, when needed. | This option uses the TOR network to hide your real IP address. Only use it for specific applications. While your IP is faked, your Internet speed is likely to be reduced. Important: we advise disabling this feature for email services as your address may end into permanent ban from your provider. |
| [OK] [Manage app trackers] | [OK] | [I Understand] |
| [ ] Do not show again | [ ] Do not show again | [ ] Do not show again |
[OK] close the pop-up.
[Manage app trackers] sends the user to the Manage app trackers screen.
[I understand] closes the pop-up.
The pop-up does not determine the activation of the feature, it's only an information linked to the activation. The activation of the feature is related to the user activating a toggle or choosing Hide my IP, Use a random plausible location or Use a specific location in the dedicated screens.