Helm protects your data from the threats of your email provider pilfering through your inbox, using it to target ads against you, and sending copies of your email to cops or spies without your consent.
When you use services like Gmail, Mail.ru, Facebook, Dropbox, Slack, or any other site that stores your data, they will hand your private information to governments when compelled to do so and in some cases, merely when asked…Many companies, like Facebook, have shared personal information even more widely, with private entities. When your personal data is stored on a company’s servers, as with the email in your Gmail account, there are no technical barriers to the host company sharing it when it sees fit.
If you want an email account that’s actually private, one solution is to run your own email server from your house. This way, if governments want to secretly ask your email provider for a copy of your inbox, they’ll have to ask you.
Helm is a triangle-shaped personal server that can host email (on your own custom domain name), contacts, calendar, and a file server, and is about as easy to set up as a new smartphone. For being basically a sophisticated product for hosting your most private data — where there are many opportunities to screw up — Helm’s technical choices and business model are surprisingly well-thought-out. All you need is internet access at your home and an iPhone or Android phone to configure it.
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Read the rest at The Intercept