Google recently announced that they are offering end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) services via Client-Side Encryption to enterprise users. We’ll break down what this means.
What is Gmail’s E2EE?
E2EE secures email content by making emails readable to only the intended sender and recipient using encryption keys.
E2EE is in beta mode. Currently, it’s only possible to use E2EE with emails sent internally within the organization.
Who can get E2EE?
Enterprise users only. E2EE is available with Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, or Education Plus subscriptions.
These subscription types cannot get E2EE: Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, and Gmail personal accounts.
What are the requirements to implement E2EE?
A qualifying Google Workspace subscription.
An organization must have an external encryption key management service in order to use Google’s E2EE service.
Developer skills to run APIs and Python scripts to configure E2EE.
What is the recipient experience for E2EE emails?
If the recipient is a Gmail user, the email is automatically decrypted in the inbox.
If the recipient is not a Gmail user, they will receive a message to view the email and must use a guest Google Workspace account to view the email.
The bottom line
The recipient experience isn’t seamless for non-Gmail users and introduces friction.
Gmail’s E2EE requires a third party key management service and technical capabilities to implement.
Lilly Ohno
