Published: 01:41 AM, 07 July 2018
Gmail messages 'read by human third parties'
Google has confirmed that private emails sent and received by Gmail users can sometimes be read by third-party app developers, not just machines.
People who have connected third-party apps to their accounts may have unwittingly given human staff permission to read their messages. One company told the Wall Street Journal that the practice was "common" and a "dirty secret".Google indicated that the practice was not against its policies.
One security expert said it was "surprising" that Google allowed it. Gmail is the world's most popular email service with 1.4 billion users. Google lets people connect their account to third-party email management tools, or services such as travel planning and price comparisons.
