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.

When linking an account to an external service, people are asked to grant certain permissions - which often include the ability to "read, send, delete and manage your email".

The companies said they had not asked users for specific permission to read their Gmail messages, because the practice was covered by their user agreements.