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Last Tested: Jun 21, 2019
Google OAuth is Google's GSuite version of an OAuth 2 client. OAuth is a standard that apps can use to provide client applications with “secure delegated access”. OAuth works over HTTPS and authorizes devices, APIs, servers, and applications with access tokens rather than credentials.
OAuth allows for:
- Different access levels: read-only VS read-write. This allows you to grant access to your user list or a bi-directional access to automatically synchronize your new LinkedIn friends to your GMail contacts.
- Access granularity: you can decide to grant access to only your contact information (username, e-mail, date of birth, etc.) or to your entire list of friends, calendar and what not.
- Access management: It allows you to manage access from the resource provider's application. If the third-party application does not provide a mechanism for cancelling access, you would be stuck with them having access to your information. With OAuth, there is provision for revoking access at any time.
Sources / Additional Reading:
https://medium.com/@ashokyogi5/a-beginners-guide-to-google-oauth-and-google-apis-450f36389184
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4201431/what-exactly-is-oauth-open-authorization
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