Friend knows when I read a message even though I don't send an automatic receipt

[Al6286]

I have a friend who knows when I read his messages even though I don't send an automatic reply and he message does not give me a "confirm receipt" option.

He uses a program I think it is called "MAILBIRD" and he has a setting where he can tell the program to to inform him when someone reads a message he sent.

I don't mind it for HIM but if someone sends me a spam mail and uses this program he knows that he's got an active email address.

Can you put a "fix" in to give me an option to turn the "automatic receipt" of for "offending" mail programs.?

Thanks I would appreiate it.

[Jon]

Thanks for submitting an idea to the Mozilla Connect community! Your idea is now open to votes (aka kudos) and comments.

[MattAuSupport]

Try disabling remote images and watch your "friend" founder on tracking your opens.  They are extensively used to track email opens by marketing companies.  Familiarise yourself with web beacons, generally transparent single pixel remote images which are used for this purpose.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_beacon

[TU12]

To revise this submission in the form of a feature request:

"Allow remote content in messages" should be off by default and 1-pixel transparent "web bugs" should be replaced with a crawling bug animation + ToolTip (to expose the sender who is attempting to track you.)

> if someone sends me a spam mail and uses this program he knows that he's got an active email address.

In many cases, he learns more than that -- like geographic location & name of ISP (...and Internet Service Providers are allowed to sell customer information + user traffic in many jurisdictions)