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Can external apps read your messages in Gmail? Understand

Google is being accused of allowing developers to read the emails of millions of Gmail users. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported last Monday (2), the company would have maintained a flexible privacy policy with partners even after coming to the public to say that it would no longer use personal messages for advertising purposes. According to the publication, companies developing online services with Google login have access to user emails. Sources heard by the vehicle also say that reading e-mails is considered "a common practice of the market."

In response to the report in the US newspaper, Google did not deny that the developers of other companies have access to the content of the messages, but explained that third-party apps undergo a careful evaluation before accessing Gmail.

The company also explained that Gmail automatically processes emails to filter out spam and phishing scams and that "this practice has caused some to erroneously speculate that Google 'reads' their emails, " the official statement said. There is, however, one exception: "No one on Google reads your Gmail except in very specific cases where you ask us to give us your consent, or where we need it for security purposes, such as investigating a bug or abuse."

Anyway, the search giant encourages users to review the permissions they've given to external apps and to revoke access if they do not feel more comfortable sharing information. Here's how to edit app permissions to Gmail.

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How to protect yourself

Although Gmail is the center of the investigation conducted by the American newspaper, the reports lead one to believe that reading e-mails can be common in other services as well. According to the WSJ, the terms of use of Microsoft and Yahoo also do not prohibit this type of practice. In the walkthrough below, learn how to change the settings for email services.

1. Gmail

Step 1. Go to the Google Apps account permissions page (myaccount.google.com/permissions). In the "Third-party apps with account access" section, find an app that has access to Gmail;

Find apps with Gmail access

Step 2. Click on it to expand options and select the "Remove Access" option.

Remove the application

2. Microsoft Outlook

Step 1. Access the permissions administration page (account.live.com/consent/Manage) of your Microsoft account. Locate an application with access to your Outlook information and select "Edit";

Edit the options for an app connected to your Microsoft account

Step 2. Review the permissions you gave to apps in your account. If you are allowed to access your emails, select "Remove these permissions."

Remove an app that can read your email

3. Yahoo Mail

Go to the activity page of your Yahoo account (login.yahoo.com/account/activity). In the "Applications connected to your account" section, select "Remove" next to the service with access to Yahoo Mail.