Mozilla has released an update to its email privacy service, Firefox Relay, that addresses common complaints and extends the tool to a broader audience.
With the latest version of Firefox Relay, the size limit for attachments has been increased from 150KB to 10MB, which means users will have no problem receiving emails containing documents, gigs, etc. Previously, these attachments just didn't make it to the inbox.
In a blog post, Mozilla also revealed that the Firefox Relay extension is now also available through Google Chrome, where only Firefox users (and those who wanted to use the website) had access. Since Chrome is by far the most widely used web browser, with over 60% market share, this move will open up the service to millions more people.
Finally, Mozilla announced new features that allow Firefox Relay users to filter promotional emails for a predefined period, but this feature is only available to paid subscribers.
Firefox Relay Update
Firefox Relay, relaunched late last year, allows users to hide their personal email address when interacting with providers and websites they may not trust. The service allows users to create multiple email aliases (up to five for free), which route messages to their original inbox without exposing their identity.
To explain the usefulness of the mail relay service, Mozilla makes a comparison between a person's email address and their home phone number.
"In real life, you have a phone number that family and friends can call and reach you directly. You've probably memorized it and it's something you've had for years. In your online life, your email address is like your phone number., is a personal and unique identifier,” Mozilla wrote in a separate blog post.
"Your email address has become the way we access nearly every website, app, newsletter, and hundreds of other interactions we have online every day. This means your email address is in the hands of from hundreds if not thousands of third parties.As you believe about your email address and where it's used, Firefox Relay can help protect and limit where it's shared.
The email relay tool is part of a growing suite of privacy-focused products from Mozilla, which has made a decision to put less emphasis on its popular browser as it seeks to establish new revenue streams independent of its ability to compete. with Chrome, Safari and Edge.
Along with Firefox Relay, the organization now offers a VPN service, a breach monitor, a news aggregator, and an anti-tracking extension.
Relay's latest update can be seen as an attempt to bolster both the quality and reach of Mozilla's suite, as competitors like Brave, Proton, and DuckDuckGo begin expanding their own arsenals of privacy services.
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