1719868 - Allow the user to enable/disable subject encryption for a single OpenPGP message

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(MailNews Core :: Security: OpenPGP, enhancement)

Description

[Kai Engert [:KaiE:]]

A user might want to use OpenPGP message subject encryption for most messages, but might need to disable subject encryption occasionally e.g. when interacting with an email ticket system.

I think users shouldn't be required to disable the default pref for that. It would be good to have a control in composer, which affects the single message.

I had started to work on that, adding another checkbox in the Options/Security menu, next to the "attach my public key" chechbox.

I considered the checkbox label "Encrypt the message subject".

But then I realized it may be misleading. If the user has that enabled, but afterwards switches to S/MIME, the user might be surprised that the subject didn't get encrypted.

Setting the menu checkbox to disabled when switching to S/MIME doesn't help the user, because the user might not open the menu again, and might not see that the checkbox was changed to disabled.

Also, a non-educated user might falsely assume that it is possible to encrypt the subject could be encrypted, without encrypting the body.

To pevent potential misunderstanding, I suggest the following label:

"Encryption includes the subject (OpenPGP)"

This clarifies it isn't a separate encryption flag, and it clarifies it only applies for OpenPGP.

In addition, I suggest that we clarify another option. The "attach my public key" pref also applies to OpenPGP only. I suggest we append " (OpenPGP)" to that label.

We should take a bit more time to prepare the full patch, but I'd like to add the string, to enable this UI improvement during TB 91 maintenance.

Comment 1

[Kai Engert [:KaiE:]]

Attachment: Bug 1719868 - Add a string for a subject encryption option in composer, clarify attach key is for OpenPGP only. r=mkmelin

Comment 2

[Kai Engert [:KaiE:]]

Attachment: Bug 1719868 - Add option to control OpenPGP subject encryption in composer. r=mkmelin

Comment 3

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central/rev/ec2c9b3f1648
Add a string for a subject encryption option in composer, clarify attach key is for OpenPGP only. r=mkmelin

Comment 5

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central/rev/332d8773d7f0
Add option to control OpenPGP subject encryption in composer. r=mkmelin

Comment 6

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central/rev/332d8773d7f0 should eventually be put on beta and 91 (the other check-in made it for 91 already)

Comment 7

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Comment on attachment 9230489 [details]
Bug 1719868 - Add option to control OpenPGP subject encryption in composer. r=mkmelin

[Approval Request Comment]
User impact if declined: Can't set per message whether to encrypt subject or not
Testing completed (on c-c, etc.): on c-c
Risk to taking this patch (and alternatives if risky): Not risky.

Comment 8

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Comment on attachment 9230489 [details]
Bug 1719868 - Add option to control OpenPGP subject encryption in composer. r=mkmelin

[Triage Comment]
Approved for beta

Comment 9

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Comment on attachment 9230489 [details]
Bug 1719868 - Add option to control OpenPGP subject encryption in composer. r=mkmelin

[Triage Comment]
Approved for esr91

Comment 10

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Comment on attachment 9230489 [details]
Bug 1719868 - Add option to control OpenPGP subject encryption in composer. r=mkmelin

Rob, this is needed in next beta.

let's redo the esr approval for this and bug 1725897 after beta

Comment 11

[Rob Lemley [:rjl]]

Thunderbird 91.0b4:
https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/comm-beta/rev/fc4609fac6cf046ab6cc906bddaa8763922cf245

Comment 12

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Comment on attachment 9230489 [details]
Bug 1719868 - Add option to control OpenPGP subject encryption in composer. r=mkmelin

Should be ready for 91 uplift now.

Comment 13

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Comment on attachment 9230489 [details]
Bug 1719868 - Add option to control OpenPGP subject encryption in composer. r=mkmelin

[Triage Comment]
Approved for esr91

Comment 14

[Rob Lemley [:rjl]]

Thunderbird 91.1.1:
https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/comm-esr91/rev/3313950eb276