Third-Party Gmail Apps Allow Employees to Read Private Email Messages: Report



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Third-party application developers who create services that work with Google Gmail have been found letting their employees read private e-mail. These apps help users find a good deal or manage their trips.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal two applications named Return Path and Edison Software asked their employees to read their e-mails. Return Path is an application that badyzes user inboxes and collects data for merchants. The journal reports that Return Path employees read 8,000 emails from users two years ago to help develop the company's software. Edison Software, the second application mentioned by the newspaper, helps users manage their email and has allowed employees to read thousands of emails to help form the "Smart Response" feature of the app. The developers of both applications reported that they obtained user consent and that the practice was covered in their contracts of use.

It's not surprising to see third-party developers accessing this type of data. Google also asks users for specific permissions regarding third-party application integrations. Most services require the user's consent to "read, send, delete and manage their email". However, the report of these third party developers allowing their employees to read people's e-mails is a surprise.

This news comes amidst the concerns of these companies Last year, Google said that it would stop Scan users' emails for data that help marketers target ads on users. While Google did not comment on the subject, it confirmed that external developers seeking access to Gmail data are strictly controlled by the company. It states that the process ensures that the company represents itself correctly and that it has a privacy policy in place. Return Path and Edison Software have both defended their practice of letting employees read the emails from users.

Like everyone who knows anything about the software knows, human software program – artificial intelligence comes directly from human intelligence, "Return Path said in a blog about his website. "Whenever our engineers or data scientists personally review e-mails in our panel (which is entirely consistent with our policies), we make sure to limit access to data and monitor all access to data."

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Edison defended his action and said that he had stopped his practice. "We have since discontinued this practice and erased all of this data in order to remain consistent with our company's commitment to achieving the highest standards possible to ensure confidentiality," said CEO Mikael Berner in a statement [19659009]. Since Facebook has revealed that Cambridge Analytica based in the UK has used its algorithm to collect data on users. The social media giant has confirmed that 87 million users have been affected and has introduced a new policy to protect users' data.


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