Topmail sees 300% Increase in Account Signups Since Yahoo Controversies

Topmail.com recorded a 300% increase in signups in October, which they believe is directly correlated to revelations that Yahoo.com complied with NSA requests to help them scan their own users’ email.

It has been a tough few weeks for Yahoo mail and its users. On September 2nd, 2016, Yahoo confirmed a massive security breach of their system which saw hackers steal personal information for over 500 million accounts. The attack was blamed on a foreign government, using military or intelligence services to break into Yahoo’s systems.

Reuters then reported on the 4th of October that in 2015 Yahoo complied with a classified US government demand to search all customers’ incoming emails for specific information provided by US intelligence officials. The email scanning controversy in the USA didn’t go unnoticed in Ireland either. Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner, the lead European regulator on privacy issues for Yahoo, said it was also making enquiries about the matter.

These two controversies could not have come at a worse time for Yahoo, who are in the final stages of a multi-billion dollar sale to Verizon. Since the shocking announcements of the email scanning and security breach, it is not surprising that Yahoo mail users have now started to look elsewhere for a more secure and private platform to send and receive their email.

Topmail, which is a paid secure email service, has recorded an increase of 300% in account signups since the start of October 2016. This increase in new account signups coincided with the recent email hacks and scanning incidents which recently took place at Yahoo.

“In light of the recent media coverage and debate regarding Yahoo’s security breach and email scanning, the general public are now becoming more aware of the vulnerability of their data online. Free online services such as Yahoo mail and Gmail do come at a cost and unfortunately that cost is access to and the ability to share your personal information with third parties. It is clear that a wider audience is now beginning to understand the value of protecting their personal information. Topmail is definitely a safer and more private platform for Yahoo customers to send and receive their private email correspondence” said Daniel Caffrey, CTO Topmail.

The recent increase in sign up’s to Topmail would indicate that the more privacy conscious Yahoo mail account holders are now shopping around for alternatives. The question is, how many will ultimately leave and is there any way forward for Yahoo mail?