Apps that can access emails are vetted: Google

In a response to the revelation that Gmail inboxes can be scanned by third-party applications and employees go through the emails of users, Google has claimed that the apps have to go through a review process in order to gain access.

“Before a non-Google app can access your Gmail messages, it goes through a multi-step review process that includes automated and manual review of the developer, assessment of the app’s privacy policy and homepage to ensure it is a legitimate app, and in-app testing to ensure the app works as it says it does,” a Google blog post said.

Google reiterated that the users have ultimate control over their data. They said users could use the security check-up option to review which apps can access the data.

“Before a non-Google app is able to access your data, we show a permissions screen that clearly shows the types of data the app can access and how it can use that data,” Google said.

The tech giant claimed that they do not read users’ email to provide relevant advertisements and their primary business model is the paid email service they provide to organizations.

Software companies have been under scrutiny ever since the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica story has been released.

The European Union had implemented a law called General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), wherein companies were required to be transparent about the data they collect from the users and who they share it with.