Google readily admits to sharing data on its 1.4 billion e-mail users with outside app developers, but told senators inquiring about its security practices that it only does so when affected Gmail accountholders agree.

“We continuously work to vet developers and their apps that integrate with Gmail before we allow them the ability to request access to user data,” Susan Molinari, the firm’s vice president for government affairs in the Americas and a former GOP congresswoman from New York, wrote to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune. “Our main goal is to prevent abuse before it happens.”