Google allowing third party app developers access to millions of gmail accounts

Last year Google assured that it would stop scanning emails and ensure complete privacy of its users. However, it did not offer much resistance to outside software developers from scanning your Gmail inboxes.

Apparently, users who signed up for email-based services, shopping price comparisons and automated travel-itinerary planners using their Gmail accounts, are at most risk of this privacy breach.

As per a report by Business Insider, software developed by third parties are able to scan and read your Gmail, apparently without much restriction from Google.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that employees working with hundreds of software developers are capable of reading your private messages you send from Gmail.

Normally, computers scan and analyse over 100 million emails per day, but Google allows third-party software to electronically scan the inboxes of millions of Gmail users.

As per the report, Return Path Inc. is one of the said companies which Google allowed. At one point, the company's employees apparently used to read about 8,000 uncensored emails to help train the company’s software.

The revelation could not have come at a worse time as, following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, software companies are taking extra steps to protect data privacy of its users.

CEO of Edison Software, a Google developer, Mikael Berner said that it was common practice for employees to read the inboxes of hundreds of Gmail users in order to build a new feature.

Many software developers also said they go through inboxes to improve the user experience. They defended this action by saying, "The practice is specified in their user agreements and they have implemented strict rules for employees regarding the handling of emails."