Never Give Out Your Real Information Again with MaskMe, From Online Privacy Company Abine

BOSTON, July 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- If you ever give out your information online, stop now and add MaskMe to your browser. Between high-profile hacks and the NSA scandal, it's clear the Internet is a place where our daily activities are recorded, shared, and linked together to tell an incredibly detailed story. The radical solution is to simply stop giving out your personal information. This is the promise of MaskMe, announced today after a year of development effort from privacy company, Abine, Inc., makers of DoNotTrackMe, currently used every day by more than three million people in 50 countries around the world.

MaskMe literally "masks" your personal information, including your email address, phone number, and even credit card number by creating disposable aliases that work with users existing email, phone, and credit cards. Add MaskMe to your browser, and whenever you sign up for a website, a coupon or daily deal, or shop online, MaskMe instantly allows you to give masked information in one click. With Abine's patent-pending technology, emails forward to your existing inbox and calls and texts forward to your phone so you never miss important communications. However, because a website doesn't have your real information, you are in charge and can block them from contacting you at any time. MaskMe is smart and shows up when users need it, like when a website asks for your email address, but gets out of your way when you don't want to use it. It also includes additional features that make browsing faster and easier, such as secure account storage and auto-fill. MaskMe is immediately available at abine.com for Firefox and Chrome browsers and for Apple iPhone and iPad and Google Android devices. 

Today, people face a tradeoff on the Internet. Just to log in to a growing number of websites, we're asked to exchange our most personal data. MaskMe eliminates this tradeoff, giving you full access to the web while ensuring that no site has your real information. This creates immediate benefits for users by putting them in charge of how and when a company can contact them. It also creates long-term benefits, including: a site can't lose, share, or sell your real information; there is no financial loss from credit card fraud; and when used across the web, MaskMe eliminates the time-consuming task of resetting all your online accounts when one site suffers a data breach.

"In today's world of big data, consumers are realizing that any personal information they give away can be exploited," said Abine CEO Bill Kerrigan. "The real lesson is to stop giving out your personal data in the first place. That used to be difficult for consumers, who didn't have a choice if they wanted to use online services. MaskMe now gives them control over the information that's most critical to keep private."

A free, basic MaskMe account includes the following features:

• Unlimited Masked Emails – Internet users have an average of five email addresses, and three of these are extra "junk" inboxes to deal with spam. Simplify by using Masked Emails. Disguise your real email address and create a masked, alias email on the spot with one click. Anything that's sent to your Masked Email goes to your real inbox, so you'll still receive important messages. If a sender starts spamming one of your Masked Emails, block it from right inside the email. It's like an "unsubscribe" button that always works.
• Generate strong passwords in one click – Create and remember unique, strong passwords as a new account is established. MaskMe-generated passwords are encrypted with a password only the user know, meaning not even Abine can see it. MaskMe can remember login information for both new accounts and existing accounts.
• Account storage, auto-fill, and online backup – MaskMe can store and encrypt all your account information, like usernames and passwords, and automatically fill it into online forms for quick logins. You can back up your accounts to MaskMe.com for free.

Consumers can also opt for a MaskMe Premium subscription for $5 per month, which includes the following added features:

• Masked Credit Cards - MaskMe premium subscribers will be able to use the Masked Cards feature, still in beta, to protect their real credit card. Users create a new virtual card number to use when they shop online, complete with a pre-authorized spending limit. You can make your purchase like normal, but the merchant will never have your real card number, saving you from the financial losses and headaches associated with credit card fraud.
• Masked Phone - MaskMe Premium provides a second phone number that forwards calls and texts to your real phone. You can give out your new Masked Phone number, still receive all your calls, texts, and voicemails, and block individual callers with a single tap from your phone if they start pestering you.
• MaskMe Mobile - MaskMe Mobile, available for premium users on iOS and Android devices, provides on-the-go access to your stored MaskMe data and lets you create masked info. iPhone users have the enhanced functionality of calling others from their Masked Phone number.
• Sync across all your devices - With MaskMe Premium's Sync feature, store encrypted account information in the cloud and unlock it from other computers or your iOS or Android phone where you've installed MaskMe.

Additional information on MaskMe's features and frequently asked questions are available at www.abine.com. When combined with Abine's DoNotTrackMe and DeleteMe, MaskMe rounds out a suite of tools that significantly improve consumers' online privacy.

About Abine
Every day, more than three million consumers use Abine's innovative and easy-to-use online privacy solutions. With proven tools, Abine enables people to both benefit from the Web and retain control over their personal information. Abine is backed by premier venture capital firms Atlas Venture and General Catalyst Partners. Abine: Online Privacy Starts Here™. Abine.com.

PRESS CONTACT:
Kirsten Simmons
RF|Binder Partners
212-994-7658
[email protected] 

SOURCE Abine