Images in emails can be nice, but they can also reveal something about you. When you open a message in AIM Mail or AOL Mail that contains an image not attached to the email, the image is downloaded from a remote server that can record that action. The sender can tell that you opened the message, and they may get a general idea of your geographic location, too.
Fortunately, it's easy to secure yourself from that danger in AIM Mail and AOL Mail. In messages that are not from people in your address book, AIM Mail and AOL Mail do not download said remote images automatically. You can still do so manually for each message, of course.
Prevent Privacy Infringement Through Remote Images in AIM Mail or AOL Mail
To make sure AIM Mail or AOL Mail does not load remote images — thereby potentially revealing details about your opening the message — automatically in messages from unknown senders:
- Follow the Settings link in AIM Mail or AOL Mail.
- Go to General.
- Make sure Hide images in mail from unknown senders is checked under Reading.
- Click Save.
