“To Be Absolutely Clear: No One at Google Reads Your Gmail” – Google on Email Controversy

A WSJ report yesterday talked about what has remained a widely known “dirty secret” in the tech industry – the ability for third-party app developers to access your inboxes. Google had promised its users last year that it will stop reading their emails to better target them with advertising, however, it continues to give this prized access to outsiders.

While this practice has been long known, it shouldn’t take a Cambridge Anayltica-like scandal to hit Google before this access is removed. As reported yesterday, it’s not always computers and algorithms that go through your emails to target for keywords, but humans who get access to unredacted communications.

The company is now responding to these fresh concerns by suggesting that we should trust its vetting system and start paying attention to permission screens.