Airtel, Saavn Had Your Facebook Data Access; Gmail Allows 3rd Parties To Read Your Mails!

After the recent Facebook data scandal episode, all tech companies from around the world are getting strict with their personal data and who can access them. Different governments are fighting to bring in more structured data laws, though reportedly the companies are still not abiding by the laws.

Wall Street Journal has claimed that Google is still reportedly allowing the users to access Gmail accounts. These are the third-party app developers who have access to scan through Gmail accounts.

Gmail Accounts Are Being Scanned By Unknown Third-Party Developers

The internet giant is allowing hundreds of unknown third-party software developers to scan the mails in the inboxes of millions of Gmail users. The company is scanning the Gmail accounts who signed up for email-based services offering shopping price comparisons or automated travel-itinerary planners or other tools.

The third-party software developers are unverified, and they have access to all the personal data on Gmail.

Accessing Personal Emails

Gmail currently has over 1.4 billion users. Though, Google had earlier said that it only provides data to outside developers to whom users have granted permission to access. Last year the search giant said the computers at Google will soon stop reading the emails of Gmail users to personalise and strategize their ads.

Also according to Google, their own employees can access any personal mail on Gmail under very specific cases like proper consent is given or to for security purposes.

Why Google is Scanning Gmail Accounts?

To personalise advertising and their marketing campaigns. With such a huge massive user base, the Gmail users are its one of the biggest target markets. According to the report, the company is accessing email-based services offering shopping price comparisons, automated travel-itinerary planners and other shopping-related tools.

It will help Google to gather more data on shopping patterns of customers, how offers via emails are impacting customers to shop and more.

 

Facebook Allowed Airtel & Saavn To Access Personal Data Even After Exemption

As per a recent report, India’s largest telecom operator Airtel and Reliance Jio’s new app partner Saavn had access to personal data on Facebook even after exemption in 2015. Facebook submitted the list of organisations to Congress who had access to personal data on Facebook.

As per the list, Indian telecom major  Bharti Airtel had an integration partnership with Facebook. Airtel has responded and it says the matter pertains to the year 2010 when Facebook granted access to its data to Airtel as an app developer. The Airtel-Facebook project ended in 2013, it has no access to the data since then.

The Reliance Jio partner-company Saavn was also listed in the submission. As per the report, the Reliance Jio partner-company had access to the users’ friend’s data.

Both Airtel and Saavn were allowed to use the personal data on Facebook even after 2015, when both Airtel and Saavn were exempted from using it. Airtel had an integration partnership with Facebook, whereas reportedly Saavn was given one year leeway to make sure its API’s were in line with Facebook’s policy.