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Gmail receives client-side encryption with some limitations

Among the best productivity tools in the business sector, Google Workspace apps are the best-rated. The Google suite consists of a wide range of services. It includes Slides, Chat, Meet, Docs, Sheets, and Gmail. Gmail is one of the well-known email clients. It is now going to receive client-side encryption on the web in beta. The company mentioned that the update would make its way to other services in a gradual manner.

The Google customers on Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Education Standard are presently enjoying the CSE for Gmail. Whereas the users on low-placed Workspace ranks, personal Google accounts, and older G Suite Basic, and Business plans are non-eligible for this feature.

By default, the feature is off. Administrators are required to enable it by navigating to Security. From Security, they can go to Access and data control. Followed by that enable the Client-side encryption given the Admin console.

The support page for Google CSE mentioned that the admins will have great control over which members of the company could access the keys. Furthermore, it enables the admins to monitor the encrypted files of the users. in comparison, end-to-end encryption doesn’t provide the admin with access to view the users’ encrypted files.

In addition to this, Google mentioned that features like signatures, summaries, translation, multi-send mode, Confidential mode, and Smart Compose won’t be available with CSE emails. Moreover, the CSE on Gmail won’t permit the users to search the body of the encrypted message. Additionally, it will restrict third-party add-ons to gain access to the plain-text contents of the encrypted mail.

The support page highly recommends client-side encryption for highly regulated industries. These include defense, government, financial, or aerospace institutions. Furthermore, Google clarified that CSE works with its other products as well. Where Slides, Docs, Sheets, Meet, and Drive have support for CSE. However, Calendar has this mode in beta at the moment.

Authorized consumers can access the Gmail client-side encryption beta until January 20, 2023. Thus, applying and trying the latest update. Furthermore, CSE will arrive in Gmail on iOS and Android. But as of now, we can’t say how much time will it take for the arrival of CSE to iOS and Android.