Let’s Encrypt to End Expiration Notification Emails: A Move Towards Privacy and Efficiency

Let’s Encrypt has announced that it will cease sending expiration notification emails to its subscribers starting June 4, 2025. This decision marks a pivotal change in the way the nonprofit organization manages its certificate renewal process, emphasizing privacy, cost-efficiency, and infrastructure simplification.

Since its inception, Let’s Encrypt has been a cornerstone in providing free encryption certificates, enabling secure HTTPS connections for millions of websites worldwide. The expiration notification emails have been a critical component of this service, reminding subscribers to renew their certificates. However, several factors have led to the decision to end this service.

Automation and Subscriber Adaptation

Over the past decade, a growing number of Let’s Encrypt subscribers have implemented reliable automation for certificate renewal. This shift towards automation has reduced the dependency on manual reminders, making the expiration notification emails less critical for many users.

Privacy Concerns

One of the primary reasons for ending the notification service is the organization’s commitment to privacy. Retaining millions of email addresses connected to issuance records poses a significant privacy risk. By eliminating the need to store these email addresses, Let’s Encrypt aims to enhance its privacy practices and protect user data.

Cost and Resource Allocation

Providing expiration notifications incurs substantial costs, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars annually. Let’s Encrypt believes that these funds can be better utilized in other areas of its infrastructure, contributing to the overall improvement and expansion of its services.

Infrastructure Complexity

Managing the expiration notification system adds complexity to Let’s Encrypt’s infrastructure. As the organization continues to grow and support new service components, reducing this complexity is crucial. Phasing out the notification emails will allow Let’s Encrypt to streamline its operations and focus on more critical aspects of its mission.

Alternative Solutions for Subscribers

For subscribers who still wish to receive expiration notifications, Let’s Encrypt recommends using third-party services such as Red Sift Certificates Lite (formerly Hardenize). This service offers free expiration monitoring for up to 250 certificates, providing a viable alternative for users who rely on these reminders.

Future Communications

While Let’s Encrypt will minimize the email addresses it retains, subscribers can still opt-in to receive other types of communications. These include technical updates and news about Let’s Encrypt and its parent nonprofit, the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG). Subscribers can sign up for these email lists based on their preferences.

This move by Let’s Encrypt underscores its dedication to privacy, efficiency, and the continuous improvement of its services. As the organization adapts to the evolving landscape of internet security, it remains committed to providing reliable and secure encryption solutions for its global user base.

About Let’s Encrypt

Let’s Encrypt is a free, automated, and open certificate authority (CA) run by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG). It provides digital certificates to enable HTTPS (SSL/TLS) for websites, ensuring secure communications over the internet. Since its launch, Let’s Encrypt has issued billions of certificates, significantly contributing to the widespread adoption of HTTPS.