Lavabit.com and Tormail Email Alternatives...

[Sage]

Well, it seems the relentless march toward 1984 will never cease...

Both Lavabit and Tormail have been taken down by the Feds.

Aside from Bitmessage, anyone know of any other alternatives?

[jago25_98]

http://www.dailydot.com/lifestyle/tor-tormail-dark-web-communication-pgp/

BitMessage is a decentralized, encrypted and peer-to-peer messenger. This program has seen a surge in popularity since the Snowden leaks.
TorChat is an easy-to-use anonymous messenger designed to fit nicely into the Tor environment. It has been widely used across the Dark Net spectrum since before Tor Mail’s fall.
PrivNote is a Clear Net messenger service that deletes notes once they’re read. Silk Road vendor RxKing prefers this service, but others refuse to use it, citing multiple security concerns.
SMS4TOR is a Tor-friendly version of PrivNote that has gained considerable traction thanks to its base a Tor hidden service.
I2P-Bote uses the I2P anonymizing software to provide a decentralized, encrypted, verified email service. The service is only in alpha and, due to its reliance on I2P, will probably not be widely adopted.
Privatdemail is an email service with a focus on privacy (as opposed to anonymity). Here’s a fun fact: You apparently can’t email Israel because the servers are located in an Arab country that forbids it. That policy will not inspire confidence, but even so, Privatdemail is already in use.
RiseUp is an email service built for “liberatory social change.” Users must apply and be approved for accounts, proving that they are activists fighting for positive change, which is whatever RiseUp’s founders deem it to be. In exchange, RiseUp keeps minimal logs, encrypts your data and defends your communications unlike many corporate email services.
Nym is a remailer that allows you to send encrypted emails without them being traced back to you, the sender.
Mixmail is a remailer similar to Nym but is much easier to use. It strips out identifying factors like an IP address, making a quick, anonymous email an easy proposition.
Jabber is a popular open-source, decentralized messaging system. It’s widely used by journalists already, particularly in the Middle East.
Tox.im is a currently-in-development tool that promises to allow encrypted and decentralized video and text chat reminiscent of Skype—only without Microsoft allowing the American government to listen in as they do.

[threeip]

Just use whatever email you like and encrypt your message. Encourage your recipients to do the same.

[madmadmax]

Just use whatever email you like and encrypt your message. Encourage your recipients to do the same.

+1

I don't understand why would someone use tormail or any other "hidden" email service for that matter, if I was a fed looking for drug dealers that would be the first place I'd look, same thing with sensitive information..

[El Extranjero]

Lavabit shutdown? I'm a current user of Lavabit and have had no problems with the service. When and why was Lavabit shutdown?

Edit: I just read the news -.- That fuckin' sucks! I paid to use Lavabuit for two years! Their service was great and there privacy features were some of the best I had ever seen. (Sigh) Guess it's back to searching for another alternative.  

[giantdragon]

He could move to Russia and continue operation Lavabit from there IMHO! It would be nice slap in the NSA face

[evilpete]

He could move to Russia and continue operation Lavabit from there IMHO! It would be nice slap in the NSA face

And Russia's any better?

Snowden's in Russia because it was a way to annoy the US.  They're not a country that usually springs to mind when one is asked for examples of a country that respects civil liberties or human rights.

Hint: they just got their version of SOPA.

[ArticMine]

Just use whatever email you like and encrypt your message. Encourage your recipients to do the same.

+1

However in addition to protect against back doors:
1) Use only Free Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) to encrypt and decrypt the messages on a computer running a FLOSS Operating System under your control.
2) Use a FLOSS Operating System and mail program for example GNU/Linux with Thunderbird to send and receive messages.

[El Extranjero]

I think encryption of messages sounds great but not too many people know about it or how to use it and TBH I think encryption is a little difficult to understand. I mean, even Nimda was offering lessons on PGP/GPG encryption here on the Bitcoin forum where you would expect most members to be pretty tech savvy.

[jago25_98]

I think encryption of messages sounds great but not too many people know about it or how to use it and TBH I think encryption is a little difficult to understand. I mean, even Nimda was offering lessons on PGP/GPG encryption here on the Bitcoin forum where you would expect most members to be pretty tech savvy.

Very much agreed. It should be simpler.
I think the key to things like Blackberry Messenger that have become more widely used is that the keys are already generated. I know this is not as good as making sure you generate your own but it means it's alot more likely to be used. The insecurity this brings up only opens up a crack for feds and above to get in and most people only need a little bit more security than they currenctly have.

Thus an example,

 k9mail (or a new app) should automatically generate gpg keys and pair this to your email on install, unless otherwise instructed. The pubkey is attached automatically and al messages signed by default.

[narayan]

For email services, I think running your own mail server is a good idea.

[Fallen666]

They should move the operation to iceand

[glitch003]

Just use whatever email you like and encrypt your message. Encourage your recipients to do the same.

+1

I don't understand why would someone use tormail or any other "hidden" email service for that matter, if I was a fed looking for drug dealers that would be the first place I'd look, same thing with sensitive information..

You're absolutely right, but the issue is that many users don't know how to to encrypt their message.  Could you ask your mom to send you an encrypted email, for example? 

[BitTrade]

Just use whatever email you like and encrypt your message. Encourage your recipients to do the same.

Yeah, because I'm sure that everyone I communicate with knows what encryption is, and how to send/receive encrypted e-mails.  

[The 4ner]

Hopefully they don't shutdown for good.I don't think I'll be using any email service in the meantime.

[justusranvier]

Yeah, because I'm sure that everyone I communicate with knows what encryption is, and how to send/receive encrypted e-mails.  

This video might help:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bakOKJFtB-k

Aside from Bitmessage, anyone know of any other alternatives?

There's a mail server in the I2P network that it linked to the outside internet via a relay.

[LorenzoMoney]

What is the opinion here about hushmail.com?

[cryptasm]

What is the opinion here about hushmail.com?

HushMail is not secure

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hushmail#Compromises_to_email_privacy

[The 4ner]

What is the opinion here about hushmail.com?

HushMail is not secure

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hushmail#Compromises_to_email_privacy

Yeah, I've heard Hush mail is a POS.

[crazy_rabbit]

I assume someone has already mentioned bitmessage.org (even though it's not email) it could replace email someday as a secure alternative.