Google defended itself after The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) revealed third-party app developers have access to communications of people using the search giant’s email service.

The newspaper reported that while Google said a year ago it would stop scanning the inboxes of Gmail users to personalise advertisements, it has continued to allow hundreds of software developers to do so.

“Google does little to police those developers, who train their computers – and, in some cases, employees – to read their users’ emails,” WSJ stated.

But Suzanne Frey, director of the Security, Trust and Privacy division of Google Cloud, hit back, stating in a blog post: “A vibrant ecosystem of non-Google apps gives you choice and helps you get the most out of your email.”

She explained that prior to a “published, non-Google app” being able to access Gmail email 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.”

Frey added concerned users can access their settings to review what permissions they have granted to non-Google apps and revoke them if they want.