Self-Destructing emails coming to Gmail

Google appears to be working on bringing self-destructing emails with a Confidential Mode.

Image Credits: Bhupinder Nayyar via Flickr

According to a report from TechCrunch, Confidential Mode will allow users to send self-destructing emails and can be set to prevent the recipient from forwarding, downloading, printing or copying email contents.

With the new version, Gmail will show a lock icon in the compose box to activate Confidential Mode. The expiry date of the email after which it would be deleted can be chosen here. Confidential Mode by default stops emails from being copied, printed or forwarded, but screenshots can still be taken.

The security would be tightened as Gmail will also ask the recipient to type in an SMS passcode to confirm their identity, before being allowed to see the email. Gmail would show the content of confidential emails as a link for the verification of your identity.

Google is not actually deleting any emails, but just killing these go-between links so the content cannot be read. This initiative must be taken on account with Facebook's recent data leak scandal. So, maybe Gmail is the safest, right?