If you use one of Google’s many services then you’ve probably come to the realization that the tech company has a lot of your personal information and data, which it uses to sell ads. Now, after years of debate on whether or not it’s okay for Google to read users’ private emails, the tech giant says it will stop scanning Gmail messages, but only for the purpose of personalizing ads. [More]
gmail
Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer Says She Can’t Wait To Use Gmail Again
By 6.14.17
Marissa Mayer was one of Google’s earliest employees, and worked there for 13 years before she was hired to be Yahoo’s final CEO. Now that the sale of Yahoo’s internet operations to Verizon has closed, Mayer is out of a job. It’s not all bad, though. Leaving Yahoo means that she can use Gmail again. [More]
Google Adds Phishing Protection To Android Gmail App
By 5.4.17
Yesterday, millions of Gmail users became the targets of a phishing scam in which someone they knew sent a Google Doc for them to edit. Once they clicked on the email, however, they opened their computers and email accounts to ne’er-do-wells. Now, Google is launching an update that may make it easier for users to decipher when an email is suspicious — as long as they’re using the Android app. [More]
Judge Says Google Must Do More To Disclose That It Intercepts, Scans Emails From Non-Gmail Users
By 3.21.17
Google recently tried to settle a class-action lawsuit with non-Gmail users who sued because their emails to Gmail users were being intercepted and scanned for the purposes of providing targeted advertising to the recipient. However, that settlement has been rejected by the judge in the case, who says it doesn’t go far enough in requiring proper disclosures from Google about this invasive practice. [More]
Google Has Already Disabled Its “Mic Drop” April Fools’ Day Gmail Prank
By 4.1.16
There’s a difference between a dumb April Fools’ Day joke that isn’t funny or doesn’t trick anyone, and an April Fools’ Day joke that makes people angry and results in a $517 billion company having to apologize. [More]
What’s Taking So Long With that Email? Google Adds Smart Reply To Messages
By 3.16.16
Not sure how to reply to that email about your upcoming class reunion from Karen? Don’t worry your pretty little head, Google has apparently has the answer: the tech company has rolled out a “smart reply” service for Gmail that provides users with a set of predetermined, quick replies. [More]
College Students Sue Google For Scanning School-Issued Gmail Accounts
By 2.3.16
Nearly two years after Google agreed to stop data-mining email accounts provided through its Google Apps For Education (GAFE) program, a group of current and former college students have sued the Internet giant for the snooping that did occur for years on the Gmail accounts provided by their university. [More]
Gmail Wants To Reply To Your Emails For You With Artificial Intelligence
By 11.3.15
While we’re committed to a future serving as underlings to artificially intelligent lifeforms, we might as well enjoy some of the time-saving benefits, right? Like answering emails on the go — who wants to do that when there other more important things to do, like finally beat level 478 of Sugarsweet Smashtastic Kerplosion? Google wants to take on that task, with artificial intelligence that can read and reply to emails on your smartphone. [More]
Chrome Extension Lets Gmail Users Set Their Messages To Self-Destruct
By 7.24.15
In a world where sending instant messages is commonplace, the dark side of communicating at the touch of a button means we often regret the decision to send a photo or email, and just wish it would disappear. Although Gmail recently unveiled an “Undo send” option, for some that might be not be enough. For those folks, there’s a new Chrome extension that gives users the ability to have their emails self-destruct. [More]
Google Answers Prayers, Officially Adds “Undo Send” Button To Gmail
By 6.23.15
Everyone makes mistakes, some are just more embarrassing than others. Take for example, accidentally sending an email venting about your in-laws to your in-laws, when you meant to send it to your spouse (for the record, I’ve never done this and I love my in-laws). While that scenario may have once led to an awkward family dinner, it might not anymore, thanks to Google’s new magical “undo send” option in Gmail. [More]
Google Wants To Use Your E-Mail Address To Provide Targeted Advertising
By 4.15.15
If you’re a Gmail user, or one of the millions of workers whose employer now uses Gmail as their email platform, you could soon be seeing new ads targeted directly at you in your Google search results. [More]
Check Before You Send: Gmail Is Screwing Up Auto-Complete E-Mail Addresses
By 2.23.15
When I go into Gmail to start an e-mail and type “D” in the address line, I know without even looking that it autocompletes to “Donny Donaldson,” my fictional best friend from summer camp. But if I typed in “D” today, it might autocomplete to “Debbie Debrason,” a fictional ex-girlfriend who I try to avoid. [More]
Google Doesn’t Recognize Itself Anymore, Marks Own Email As Spam
By 12.19.14
Though it’s usually the place where fake Rolex offers, male enhancement drugs and princes from Ghana go to die, it’s always a good idea to check your spam folder. Because even Google will keep its own emails out of your Gmail inbox. [More]
Google’s Plan To Let Kids Have Accounts: Bad Idea Or Acknowledgement Of Reality?
By 8.19.14
A few years back, Facebook’s sweatshirt-in-chief Mark Zuckerberg caught a lot of heat when he said he’d be willing to fight for the right to peddle his social network to kids under the age of 13. He eventually backed off on this idea, but now Google appears to be taking up the cause. [More]
Google Beefs Up Gmail Security In Attempt To Keep Out Any Prying Eyes (Cough, NSA, Cough)
By 3.21.14
In a move that’s likely to make mass-surveillance of its email customers a whole lot harder to pull off, Google announced that it’s just beefed up security for Gmail by only using an encrypted HTTPS connection for all incoming and outgoing messages. [More]
Google Chat Goes Down, Stays Down, Everyone Panics At Being Cut Off From Rest Of The World
By 3.17.14
UPDATE 2:28 p.m. ET: Google posted an update about 10 minutes after the 2:15 ET target (though the post still bears a time stamp of 2:15 ET) saying some of you have been saved. [More]
Gmail Adds “Unsubscribe” Button To Make It Easier To Opt Out Of Marketing Emails
By 2.25.14
Whether you don’t remember ever signing up in the first place or suspect that somehow a company sneaked you onto its marketing list, Gmail users hunting for that sometimes squirrelly “unsubscribe” link won’t find it so tricky. Google’s adding an additional way to opt out of marketing emails with an “unsubscribe” button at the top of messages. [More]
Google Glitch Is Resulting In Thousands Of People E-mailing Poor Hotmail User
By 1.24.14
Let’s get the obvious joke out of the way first — yes, someone out there still uses hotmail. Moving on… Something strange is happening this afternoon. People who click on the top Google search result for “Gmail” are automatically starting draft e-mails to some unfortunate hotmail user. [More]
