# Can IT actually prove you have opened and read an email



## Ukmobilenetworks (Sep 1, 2021)

Hi guys, my question is…
17 people were sent the same email at the same time a year and a half ago. They are saying that they can identify one person opening and reading it but can not show anyone else who has opened or read the email. Not only that that can’t show any other emails we’re opened and read around this time as well. What are your thoughts and how do you disprove IT ?
Ok it was sent via Gmail and admin reckon they captured me opening and reading it but can’t show anyone else doing the same as I said before. The email was important information as it changed the way we worked and now could cost me my job. That’s why I posted the question


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

That's close to an impossible question to answer without a whole lot more information about the specifics of your email server and clients. 

I guess I don't really understand the burning importance of an email well over a year old.


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Here's the basics of how it works:

A tiny image file as small as a single pixel, and often completely transparent can easily be embedded within an email (or a webpage for that matter). 

When a user opens an email with that tiny image, their computer automatically sends a request to download it (so it can be viewed) to the host company's server where the tiny image file is actually stored. 

This request must also include identifying information about the computer requesting that image in order for the host to be able to know where to send the image to.

Bingo! They now know that your computer opened the email containing that tiny invisible image.


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## Ukmobilenetworks (Sep 1, 2021)

johnwill said:


> That's close to an impossible question to answer without a whole lot more information about the specifics of your email server and clients.
> 
> I guess I don't really understand the burning importance of an email well over a year old.


Ok it was sent via Gmail and admin reckon they captured me opening and reading it but can’t show anyone else doing the same as I said before. The email was important information as it changed the way we worked and now could cost me my job. That’s why I posted the question


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## Ukmobilenetworks (Sep 1, 2021)

Ukmobilenetworks said:


> Hi guys, my question is…
> 17 people were sent the same email at the same time a year and a half ago. They are saying that they can identify one person opening and reading it but can not show anyone else who has opened or read the email. Not only that that can’t show any other emails we’re opened and read around this time as well. What are your thoughts and how do you disprove IT ?


Ok it was sent via Gmail and admin reckon they captured me opening and reading it but can’t show anyone else doing the same as I said before. The email was important information as it changed the way we worked and now could cost me my job. That’s why I posted the question


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Can they prove it was you?


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

If your job hinges on a single email from over a year ago that for some reason only you supposedly read, then I suggest that's not what's really happening here. If your job is really on the line, IMO it's not that email, something else is afoot. That's just the lame excuse they're using to put you on the spot. I suspect they figure you won't remember if you did or didn't get an email a year ago. I wouldn't be surprised if that email didn't actually exist!


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