Private messages on GM Mail are read by a "third party"

Google Inc., owner of Gmail Mail, has confirmed that private messages, sent and received by Gmail users, are sometimes read by developers. Download programs.

People who link their accounts to third-party applications often allow third-party developers to read their messages.

A company told The Wall Street Journal that the practice was "common" and that it was a "dirty secret".
Google pointed out that this practice does not conflict with its policies. A security expert said that it was "incredible that Google allows it".

The Mail Mail service is the most prevalent in the world, with approximately 1.4 billion users.
Google allows users to link their accounts to third-party email management tools or to services such as flight planning or price comparison.

When users connect their accounts to external services, they are prompted to grant specific permissions, including the ability to "read, send, delete, and manage your e-mail messages."

According to the Wall Street Journal, these licenses sometimes allow third-party employees to read user communications.

"We did not ask permission"

While messages are generally processed by arithmetic systems, the newspaper has spoken to many companies, whose employees read "thousands" of emails. Edison Software told the newspaper that it has reviewed hundreds of user messages to develop new software features.

E Data Source Inc. stated that engineers had already read user communications to develop computer systems.

The companies said that they did not ask users for specific permission to read their messages on Gmail because this practice was covered by their contracts of use.

"You can spend weeks of your life reading the terms and conditions, there may be a clear indication of this practice, but the person will never think that it makes sense to let a third company read his or her messages, "says Professor Alan Woodward of the University of Surrey.

Only companies that have been audited can access user messages, according to Google, and in another case only, "users give clear permission to access their messages."

"Google users should not encounter surprises, such as hidden features or services, or steps that are inconsistent with the stated goals of your app, which may cause Google to suspend your access," Google says statement to the BBC. For their API services. "

The company stated that Gmail users can visit the Security Audit page to see which apps they have linked to their accounts and to cancel any apps they do not want to share their data with." 19659017] [ad_2]
Source link