Trackbuster is a new service that's designed to remove invisible tracking codes from incoming emails, preventing companies and marketers from tracking information like the time an email was opened, IP address of the recipient, which links were clicked, and more.

Many of the popular email marketing tools on the market include tools for tracking various metrics of emails that are sent out, embedding cookies and web beacons, which are tiny tracking images that let the sender know when an email has been opened. Links or attachments that are clicked within an email are also often tracked using tracking codes.

There are often few options for blocking trackers embedded in emails and these involve feature-limiting functions like removing all images, but Trackbuster plans to change that by working in the background to analyze and remove hidden tracking codes from emails to prevent users from unwittingly sharing information.

trackbuster
Trackbuster is currently in beta and limited to Gmail and email accounts managed via Google Apps. The Trackbuster service can be connected to a Gmail account, where it scans for specific tracking strings. According to the team behind Trackbuster, the service only scans for codes within email addresses and it does not store, host, or read the content of emails. No data is shared and no data associated with the email is kept by Trackbuster.

After an email account is connected to Trackbuster, the service will analyze the last 100 emails received and all new emails going forward. Incoming emails with tracking codes are filtered into a [Bustedbox] folder, the code is removed, an [Untracked] label is added to the email and it goes into a dedicated [Untracked] folder.

Because it works by connecting directly to a Gmail or Google Apps account, Trackbuster works in web browsers and with any mail software on any device, from Macs to iOS devices.

Trackbuster will be available today in a closed beta for a limited number of beta testers, who can sign up on the Trackbuster website. The company plans to continue adding additional beta testers throughout the summer.

Top Rated Comments

Albright Avatar
128 months ago
That looks like a great product. I hope it becomes available for those of us who use standard IMAP mail hosts. Removing these sorts of trackers from mail hosted by Gmail is a step, but, well, if you're expecting privacy while your mail is hosted by Gmail, you've already lost.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
128 months ago
There is is. An Anti Google email and you managed it in post 1. BRAVO!!
Oh shush it was an insightful comment with a witty conclusion. If it was just anti-Google bashing you'd know about it.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Menel Avatar
128 months ago
so if not gmail, what do you guys use for email, besides a personal mail server?
It's the best way. Domain is $8-12/yr. Not expensive.
Hosting varies, I've seen it as inexpensive as $4/mo for email and more webhosting tools than you can hope to utilize. There might even be an email only service somewhere even less expensive.

Doesn't change when you change ISP. You aren't sheep, to be indexed by an advertising company.

edit: late edit.
Hover.com
.com is 15/yr (private registration included, and 2way auth) and fancy email is $20/yr... or $2.91/mo
And you have personal control of your information. The prime spot where all your password resets go, your bills go, etc.

Take control for yourself.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dfs Avatar
128 months ago
Let's flip this. Occasionally I would like to know whether a sent e-mail has been received and read. Rather than fending off other people's trackers, I'd like a piece of software that would permit me to add my own.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ApfelKuchen Avatar
128 months ago
Let's flip this. Occasionally I would like to know whether a sent e-mail has been received and read. Rather than fending off other people's trackers, I'd like a piece of software that would permit me to add my own.
Of course, you'd be "outed" by anyone using this service. ;-)

so if not gmail, what do you guys use for email, besides a personal mail server?
Yahoo, Hotmail/MSN/Outlook.com, iCloud, AOL (those are the other pre-configured IMAP profiles in iOS and OS X Mail).
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H2SO4 Avatar
128 months ago
That looks like a great product. I hope it becomes available for those of us who use standard IMAP mail hosts. Removing these sorts of trackers from mail hosted by Gmail is a step, but, well, if you're expecting privacy while your mail is hosted by Gmail, you've already lost.
There is is. An Anti Google email and you managed it in post 1. BRAVO!!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...