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Gmail/G Suite now editing URLs in mail message bodies to use Google URL redirect

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Re: Gmail/G Suite now editing URLs in mail message bodies to use Google URL redirect

#81

Post by berkes »

defnotashton2 wrote: post #66
coddle-hark wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is about gmail, not chromium, but nevertheless: If you’re not willing to adapt your workflow to something other than chromium, maybe you don’t value your privacy as much as you think you do.

Correct I value basic usability (the ability to use many plug-ins in this case) over privacy. This is why I don't use proton, cause I can't actually get anything done with it.

In that case, I'd urge you to tone down your negative criticism on Firefox.

You've already decided that you are not willing to use it over issues you have with it: that choice is fine. Telling others in relevant discussions why you made that choise is, too.

No-one asked you why you chose not to use Firefox in a thread about Gmail. Yet you managed to inject your FUD here nonetheless: Firefox can handle 5+ addons just fine. But now some random passersby might get the impression that Firefox is a burning dumpsterfire based on random negative critiques that aren't even in the right place nor true at all. That helps exactly no-one.

Re: Gmail/G Suite now editing URLs in mail message bodies to use Google URL redirect

#83

Post by tcombinator »

oefrha wrote: post #6

Can't reproduce on either Gmail or GSuite, including on webmail (I thought this could be some sort of "you're leaving example.com, do you really want to do that" thing, but nope). The part about IMAP being affected sounds especially suspicious. Knowing op's track record I'd rather hear from some more impartial sources.

I can and have reproduced this for over a week now and have been hammering google & apple to fix it with no luck. Google says it's an Apple issue and Apple says it's a Google issue. The issue only appears to surface under specific use cases and always requires the user to have setup Mail.app on macOS or iOS with the gsuite account/user set to type "Google" vs. "IMAP". This seems to be the real pickle as all the following use cases below require this to be true for the link manipulation to occur. The same messages viewed in gmail.com or in Mail.app on macOS or iOS with the account type set to "IMAP" have their links left untouched.

- Sending a message from a gsuite account user to an external party DOES NOT show the issue

- Sending a message from an internal gsuite account user to another user in the same gsuite account + another user outside of the gsuite account DOES show the issue

- Sending a message from a gsuite account user to another gsuite user in the same account DOES NOT show the issue

- Sending a message from an external account into a gsuite account user DOES SHOW the issue (this might be tied to admin settings in G Suite > Settings for Gmail > Safety - still needs to be tested more)

- The same messages that DO SHOW the issue only show it in Mail.app on macOS & iOS when the gsuite user account is setup as "Google" vs. "IMAP". It DOES NOT show up in the GMAIL iOS app nor does it show up in the gmail.com web interface.

Google support has been effectively useless. Apple support has honestly done more to shed light on the issue. However, both companies are blaming the other and refusing to escalate to engineering or get on a call with the other company to sort this out together. Of course, Google support claims nobody else is reporting this, while Apple support alerted me to this thread. Super frustrating all around. If you are a Gsuite user please report this so I'm not yelling into the wind here. I can also confirm for my account the issue started on October 6, 2020.

Re: Gmail/G Suite now editing URLs in mail message bodies to use Google URL redirect

#84

Post by tcombinator »

TooCreative wrote: post #60

I can reproduce it on gmail.com Google seems to hide this via Javascript. To reproduce in Chromium: Enable dev tools, enable "Preserve log", go to settings and enable "Auto-open DevTools for popups". Then click on a link in a mail. Now you can see under the Network tab, that the new window did not go to the link you clicked but to a Google redirect url. I guess Google outputs a normal link in the html but then interc…

I can and have reproduced this for over a week now and have been hammering google & apple to fix it with no luck. Google says it's an Apple issue and Apple says it's a Google issue. The issue only appears to surface under specific use cases and always requires the user to have setup Mail.app on macOS or iOS with the gsuite account/user set to type "Google" vs. "IMAP". This seems to be the real pickle as all the following use cases below require this to be true for the link manipulation to occur. The same messages viewed in gmail.com or in Mail.app on macOS or iOS with the account type set to "IMAP" have their links left untouched.

- Sending a message from a gsuite account user to an external party DOES NOT show the issue

- Sending a message from an internal gsuite account user to another user in the same gsuite account + another user outside of the gsuite account DOES show the issue

- Sending a message from a gsuite account user to another gsuite user in the same account DOES NOT show the issue

- Sending a message from an external account into a gsuite account user DOES SHOW the issue (this might be tied to admin settings in G Suite > Settings for Gmail > Safety - still needs to be tested more)

- The same messages that DO SHOW the issue only show it in Mail.app on macOS & iOS when the gsuite user account is setup as "Google" vs. "IMAP". It DOES NOT show up in the GMAIL iOS app nor does it show up in the gmail.com web interface.

Google support has been effectively useless. Apple support has honestly done more to shed light on the issue. However, both companies are blaming the other and refusing to escalate to engineering or get on a call with the other company to sort this out together. Of course, Google support claims nobody else is reporting this, while Apple support alerted me to this thread. Super frustrating all around. If you are a Gsuite user please report this so I'm not yelling into the wind here. I can also confirm for my account the issue started on October 6, 2020.

Do you have a link to that twitter?

Re: Gmail/G Suite now editing URLs in mail message bodies to use Google URL redirect

#85

Post by tcombinator »

anjbe wrote: post #72

Nobody here has mentioned that sneak is using Google’s “Advanced Protection” feature: https://twitter.com/sneakdotberlin/status/131787094505949593... Advanced Protection is that ultra‐secure mode that requires hardware security keys to login and prevents third‐party apps. Here’s a quote from its advertising copy: > Protection against malware is built into Google Chrome, but Advanced Protection performs even more stri…

I can confirm this has nothing to do with that as I do not have it enabled on my account and can reliably reproduce the issue. See my other replies in the thread for more details.

Re: Gmail/G Suite now editing URLs in mail message bodies to use Google URL redirect

#86

Post by tcombinator »

jpp wrote: post #79
TooCreative wrote: post #60

I can reproduce it on gmail.com Google seems to hide this via Javascript. To reproduce in Chromium: Enable dev tools, enable "Preserve log", go to settings and enable "Auto-open DevTools for popups". Then click on a link in a mail. Now you can see under the Network tab, that the new window did not go to the link you clicked but to a Google redirect url. I guess Google outputs a normal link in the html but then interc…

I can confirm I'm seeing this -- I just noticed, searched Google, and ended up ... here. I have an email generated by one of our internal systems with a link to it, fetched via IMAP using Apple Mail, and the link is edited to be like so: &source=gmail-imap&ust=1603744768000000&usg= " rel="nofollow">https://www.google.com/url?q= &source=gmail... We're on GSuite Business, and under "Spoofing and Authent…

Can you confirm you account is actually set to "IMAP" and not "Google" in macOS? See my other comments in the thread where this only happens for me under that condition. Downloading the messages via pure IMAP produces unmodified links.

Re: Gmail/G Suite now editing URLs in mail message bodies to use Google URL redirect

#87

Post by tcombinator »

edoceo wrote: post #48

I saw something like this recently. I right-clicked to copy a link in a message, pasted to chat and it was google.com/url?url= like link. I'm not able to repro at the moment. I manage a few domains in G, I'll keep poking.

See my longer replies in the thread, I've tested this extensively and can reproduce it reliably. Please report this to google to help back my claim which they of course are casting doubts on left right and center.
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