I realise that Google places ads in the native Gmail environment. However, when using a third party front end to embed the Google services, how does the company make money off that? When I use Thunderbird to access Gmail or the Google Calendar or when I map my Google Drive to the file explorer, how can Google profit from this kind of use?
Google does not use the content of Gmail messages for ad targeting. Lots of misinformation here.
it’s interesting that you added a qualifier that I did not, to justify calling my statement “misinformation”
they are scanning your data. and while they may not be exploiting it for ad-targeting… they are almost certainly exploiting it. That’s their business model: Scrape every ounce of data they can and exploit it every which way they can.
“Exploiting” means what, exactly? And what evidence do you have for it?
The content of your email is not used for targeting or profiling, it’s not being sold. Clear enough? The qualifier is because some “well ackshually” will point out that they have to scan it for spam filtering, virus detecting, adding calendar events, etc. These are features of the product, and I think labeling them exploitation would be a bit rich.
Exploiting means exactly what it means.
Once they have the scan, that’s their data. Of course they’re going to be using it for other things. The excuses they give, are of course, the foot in the door.
It’s a “bit rich” that you think you’re not the product.