Pokémon GO Requires Full Access to Your Google Account
If you were looking for a reason to quit Pokémon GO, here it is.
Most people are logging into the game using their Google Account, as the official Pokémon site is overwhelmed and people can’t create accounts. The problem with this is that logging into Pokémon GO with your Google Account grants them FULL Access to your Google Account, and that does include emails and files:
IMPORTANT: Are you a Pokemon Go user on iOS? Revoke their access to your email and files.https://t.co/FYVqYEtXGl pic.twitter.com/vxiIvyINgm
— SecuriTay (@SwiftOnSecurity) July 11, 2016
- Read all your email
- Send email as you
- Access all your Google drive documents (including deleting them)
- Look at your search history and your Maps navigation history
- Access any private photos you may store in Google Photos
- And a whole lot more
Google describes Full Access as this:
“When you grant full account access, the application can see and modify nearly all information in your Google Account (but it can’t change your password, delete your account, or pay with Google Wallet on your behalf).
Certain Google applications may be listed under full account access. For example, you might see that the Google Maps application you downloaded for your iPhone has full account access.
This “Full account access” privilege should only be granted to applications you fully trust, and which are installed on your personal computer, phone, or tablet.
If you’ve granted full account access to an app you don’t trust or recognize, we recommend that you revoke this permission by clicking the Revoke access button.”
There is absolutely no reason why a Pokémon game should require that level of access on your Google Account. Until they fix the issues with their own account system, it may be best to avoid the game if you can only login via Google.