Finding and deleting forgotten accounts is only half the job. There is a second, less visible category of risk that most people never think to check: the apps and tools you never technically created an account with, because you used "Sign in with Google" or "Continue with Facebook" instead.
Every one of those sign-ins created a permission grant. That app or tool may still have the ability to read your emails, see your contacts, access your files, or post on your behalf, years after you stopped using it. This guide extends our post on how to find and delete every online account you have forgotten about by covering a category of exposure that account deletion alone does not fix.
Why This Is Different From a Forgotten Account
When you sign up for a new account directly with an email and password, that account is a separate, standalone risk. When you use "Sign in with Google" instead, you did not create a new account at all. You granted an app permission to connect to your existing Google account and act with a defined level of access.
The critical difference is this: even if you completely forget that app exists and never touch it again, the permission grant does not expire on its own. It sits active and untouched, sometimes for years, until you or the platform manually revokes it.
The Real Risk: A Breach Somewhere Else Reaches Your Main Account
Here is the specific danger this creates. Suppose you used "Sign in with Google" for a small scheduling app three years ago and never used it again. If that scheduling app is breached today, and it had permission to read your Google contacts or calendar, the attacker may be able to use that still-active permission to pull data directly from your live Google account, not just from the breached app's own database.
This is precisely why simply forgetting about an app is not the same as being safe from it. The connection remains live and functional until it is explicitly revoked.
How to Audit Your Google Account Permissions
- Go to myaccount.google.com/permissions while signed into your Google account.
- You will see a full list of every third-party app and service currently connected to your account.
- Click on any app in the list to see exactly what it can access, such as your email address, contacts, calendar, or Google Drive files.
- For any app you do not recognize or no longer use, click Remove Access.
Pay close attention to any app with access to Gmail, Google Drive, or Contacts specifically. These are the highest-value targets if a connected app is ever compromised.
How to Audit Your Facebook Account Permissions
- Go to Facebook Settings and select Apps and Websites.
- Review the full list of active apps connected to your account.
- Click on any app to see what specific permissions it was granted, such as your friends list, email address, or public profile information.
- Remove any app you do not actively use, and check the box to also delete any activity that app posted on your behalf if the option is available.
How to Audit Your Microsoft Account Permissions
- Go to account.live.com/consent/Manage while signed into your Microsoft account.
- Review every app and service with access to your Microsoft account, including Outlook, OneDrive, or Teams data where applicable.
- Select any app you no longer use and choose Remove these permissions.
What This Looks Like for a Nigerian Business Specifically
| Business Scenario | The Hidden Exposure |
|---|---|
| An employee connected a free scheduling tool to the company Google Workspace account two years ago | That tool may still have standing access to shared calendars, contacts, and internal emails, long after the employee stopped using it |
| A staff member used "Sign in with Facebook" to test a social media scheduling app that the business no longer uses | That app may still be able to post to the business Facebook Page or read Page insights without anyone actively monitoring it |
| A former employee connected a personal productivity app to their company Microsoft account before leaving | Unless that specific app access was revoked during offboarding, it may still have a live connection to company files after the employee's departure |
This last scenario is one of the most overlooked business risks in this entire category. If your business does not have a formal offboarding checklist that includes revoking connected app permissions, not just changing the employee's own password, this is a gap worth closing immediately.
A Simple Quarterly Habit
Set a recurring reminder every three months to review the connected apps list on your primary Google, Facebook, and Microsoft accounts. This single habit closes one of the most persistent, invisible categories of account exposure, the kind that has nothing to do with a weak password and everything to do with a permission you granted once and never thought about again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is third-party app access and why is it a risk?
Third-party app access happens when you use a Google, Facebook, or Microsoft login to sign into another app, or grant an app permission to read your contacts, calendar, or files. The risk is that this access often continues indefinitely, even after you stop using the app, and if that third-party app is later breached, attackers can potentially use its access to reach your main account's data.
How do I see which apps have access to my Google account?
Go to myaccount.google.com/permissions while signed in. This page lists every third-party app and service connected to your Google account, along with exactly what data each one can access.
Does removing an app's access delete data it already collected?
No. Revoking access stops the app from accessing your account going forward, but it does not delete any data the app already collected and stored on its own servers before the access was removed. If you want that data deleted, you generally need to contact the app directly or delete your account with that specific service.
How often should a business audit connected app permissions?
A quarterly review is a reasonable standard for a small business. Any time an employee leaves, or a tool or subscription is cancelled, that specific app's access should be revoked immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled review.
If your business needs a proper internal system to track staff access and offboarding, rather than relying on memory, that is exactly the kind of workflow Devv Plug Tech builds through custom software automation. Contact us for a free consultation.
