{
  "slug": "forward-email-backups",
  "category": "email-backup",
  "name": "Forward Email Backups",
  "description": "Built-in mailbox backup and export for Forward Email accounts. Mailboxes are backed up as encrypted SQLite files, optionally to the user's own S3-compatible storage, and can be downloaded as encrypted SQLite or password-protected EML or MBOX archives with contacts and calendars.",
  "website": "https://forwardemail.net/en/faq#how-do-i-export-and-backup-my-mailbox",
  "source": "https://github.com/forwardemail/forwardemail.net",
  "license": null,
  "platforms": [
    "web"
  ],
  "jurisdiction": {
    "code": "US",
    "name": "United States",
    "eyes": "Five Eyes",
    "eu": false,
    "gdpr": false,
    "cloud_act": "provider"
  },
  "pick": false,
  "pick_reason": null,
  "disclosure": "Privacy Ratings is maintained by the team behind Forward Email. This entry is scored by the same criteria as every other entry in this category, and changes to it are reviewed under the published conflict-of-interest rules.",
  "grade": "B",
  "score": 85,
  "coverage": 100,
  "summary": "Forward Email Backups scores 85 out of 100 (grade B) on the email backup tools criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no ads or data sales and independent audit. It partly meets no trackers or telemetry. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act.",
  "url": "https://privacyratings.com/email-backup/forward-email-backups/",
  "markdown": "https://privacyratings.com/email-backup/forward-email-backups/index.md",
  "answers": {
    "open_source": {
      "title": "Open source",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "yes",
      "evidence": "https://github.com/forwardemail/forwardemail.net/blob/master/LICENSE.md",
      "note": "All code is public, as part of the Forward Email service code. Core mail storage and protocol code is MPL-2.0 and the rest is under the source-available Business Source License 1.1 (BUSL-1.1), which becomes MPL-2.0 four years after each release."
    },
    "no_trackers": {
      "title": "No trackers or telemetry",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "partial",
      "evidence": "https://forwardemail.net/en/privacy#analytics",
      "note": "No third-party analytics. First-party anonymized analytics of page views and service usage is on by default."
    },
    "no_ads": {
      "title": "No ads or data sales",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "yes",
      "evidence": "https://forwardemail.net/en/private-business-email",
      "note": "Included with paid Forward Email plans. No ads, and the privacy policy states user data is not shared with third parties."
    },
    "independent_audit": {
      "title": "Independent audit",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "yes",
      "evidence": "https://cure53.de/pentest-report_forward-email.pdf",
      "note": "Cure53 audited the Forward Email service code, including the encrypted mailbox storage and the S3 backup storage settings."
    },
    "transparency_report": {
      "title": "Transparency report",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "user_notice": {
      "title": "Tells users about requests",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "tls": {
      "title": "TLS configuration",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "security_headers": {
      "title": "Security headers",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "web_standards": {
      "title": "Modern web standards",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    }
  },
  "tests": {
    "ssllabs": null,
    "observatory": null,
    "internetnl_web": null,
    "internetnl_mail": null,
    "trackers": [],
    "tested_at": "2026-10-01T07:01:51.873Z"
  },
  "last_modified": "2026-10-01T07:44:20Z"
}