diff --git a/web/app/helpers/sessions_helper.rb b/web/app/helpers/sessions_helper.rb
index 34c4a1fb1..5938dd3ec 100644
--- a/web/app/helpers/sessions_helper.rb
+++ b/web/app/helpers/sessions_helper.rb
@@ -163,10 +163,11 @@ module SessionsHelper
       return
     end
 
-    if EmailBlacklist.banned(current_user)
-      Stats.write('web.blacklist.user', {value: 1, user_id: current_user.id})
-      render :json => { :message => "User blacklisted via email"}, :status => 403
-    end
+    # not yet; we can track the thief by not outright banning
+    #if EmailBlacklist.banned(current_user)
+    #  Stats.write('web.blacklist.user', {value: 1, user_id: current_user.id})
+    #  render :json => { :message => "User blacklisted via email"}, :status => 403
+    #end
 
     if UserBlacklist.banned(current_user)
       Stats.write('web.blacklist.user', {value: 1, user_id: current_user.id})