How to Protect Yourself From Spam in 2026

Spam works because your email address is a permanent, reusable identifier. Break that assumption and the whole model falls apart.

Use a disposable address for low-trust sign-ups

Any time a site demands an email just to read an article or download a file, give it a temporary one. If it later sells your address, the spam lands in an inbox you've already discarded.

Compartmentalize

Keep your real address for people, and disposable addresses for services. A breach at one vendor can't cascade to your primary identity.

Never click "unsubscribe" on true spam

For unsolicited spam (not legitimate newsletters), clicking unsubscribe often just confirms your address is live. Mark as spam instead.