Lavabit gives former users access to email account again

Lavabit restarted its email service this weekend, allowing users who already had an account to access it. Because the migration process is not yet complete, new users cannot register yet.

On Friday, Lavabit announced that it would restart its services over the weekend. Users who already had an account with Lavabit can now restore their access. This is done through a migration to the so-called Dark Internet Mail Environment, or Dime, an end-to-end encryption method that the makers of Lavabit have developed in recent years. Dime offers three different modes: Trustful, Cautious and Paranoid. These offer an increasing degree of security.

Lavabit also comes with Magma, a new email server. The makers say their products can be used “without needing a PhD in cryptology.” There will be mail applications for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS and Android, but they have not yet been released. It is also not yet possible to create a new account, although it is possible to pre-register. On Twitter, the creator of Lavabit know that it expects to complete the Magma rollout this weekend.

Lavabit, which gained notoriety because Edward Snowden used the mail service, closed its doors in 2013 after pressure from the American security services. A return was announced early this month, and the service returned around the inauguration of US President Trump. According to the creators of Lavabit, this date was chosen symbolically, out of concern for Trump’s policies.