Why does logging on to Gmail go through Youtube?

[Andy]

I just noticed that, when logging in to Gmail (starting from
mail.google.com), the URL bar at the top of Chrome shows a youtube.com
URL for a second.

Anyone know why?

This happens just before the progress bar comes up, and sometimes it
flashes by so quickly you don't notice it.

Why is Google using Youtube to get to your Gmail account??

Weird.

Andy

[Sarah]

Andy,
Your google account and your YouTube are linked.
If you sign in to YouTube, you are signed into gmail & vice versa.

26 Mar 2009 ... "Youtube is completely integrated with Gmail now Googlemail users can login   with their Google id to youtube."

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[Sarah]

Andy, out of curiosity, when you log in to gmail, do you enter only your username (the bit before the @)? Or, do you enter your full details - "user...@gmail.com"?

On 17 Nov 2011 17:15, "Andy" <AI.e...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Andy]

On Thu, Nov 17, 2011 at 15:14, Sarah <mail...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Andy, out of curiosity, when you log in to gmail, do you enter only your
> username (the bit before the @)? Or, do you enter your full details -
> "user...@gmail.com"?

Just the username.

Possibly one more clue: If I go to Gmail starting at google.com and
click the "Gmail" link in the upper left, I don't see it going through
Youtube.com. If I start by going to "mail.google.com" directly, then
I see the Youtube.com briefly when I click to login. Coincidence or
not, I can't be sure.

Andy

[Marko Vukovic]

Andy

YouTube belongs to Google. If you are signed into a Google service (eg. Gmail) then you are also signed into YouTube. 

Andy

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Marko

[Andy]

I hear what you're all saying that Youtube is Google's product.

But what I don't get, and still don't understand, is why logging into
Gmail goes by way of Youtube. It just doesn't make sense to me (not
that anything has to make sense, of course).

Andy

[Sarah]

The bit I can't answer is why Andy should only see the YouTube URL when accessing gmail from mail.google.com, and not when he uses the gmail menu-link from google.com.
A potential security risk was pointed out - if you sign-in to YouTube, you can then access your gmail account without having to login.
As it is a "google" login to YouTube, one might think it should be obvious; but I expect some people may not realize the consequences.

[Sarah]

Ok, at a guess, please feel free to shoot me down in flames...
When you sign in to gmail directly: mail.google, you are signing in to "one" (not all) of your google services; and YouTube is linked to gmail...signing into gmail does not (yet) sign you in to all of your google account's services, but does sign you into YouTube.
When you sign in to gmail via google, you are actually signing in to your google account, the hub for all of your google services, and single sign in point for all those services. In effect, I believe the effect is the same, you are signed in to YouTube and gmail; but going via google there is no necessity to link to YouTube.
btw. This subject has brought it to my attention that the YouTube preview function has apparently been dumped; it started as a lab, then was integrated as a gmail feature. As a feature I didn't use, I didn't notice its demise.

[Sarah]

In my last post, one of those "effect"s should have been an "affect".

[Marko Vukovic]

My best guess on this issue is that you had some recent activity on YouTube and therefore Google signs you into that also whenever you sign into Gmail. I would also hazard a guess that if you deleted all Google, Gmail and YouTube cookies that it may stop doing that (until the next time you visit YouTube perhaps).

Sarah, why do you say there is a potential security risk?

Regards

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Marko

[Sarah]

Marko, I'll look up the references, and send links, so you can assess for yourself.
The basis for risk is that people tend to regard YouTube as low security risk, and are inclined to leave it signed in, not realising that if you have signed into YouTube, then gmail will not ask you to login; all you have to do is point browser at gmail & it opens your inbox. So people don't realise that their gmail is accessible, just because they have signed into YouTube, and that leaving YouTube signed in allows anyone who can access that computer access to their gmail. There is also a hangover from before YouTube & gmail were linked; it was not uncommon for people to share YouTube accounts. Apparently, a YouTube account that several people used, when subsequently linked to one user's gmail account (often without them being particularly aware of the consequences, or even the fact) would allow any of the other users access to that person's Gmail.

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[Sarah]

Marko,
A number of topics featuring users concerns about security, here:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/search.py?hl=en&forum=1&query=YouTube+security+risk+more%3Aforum

Unfortunately I deleted my history, and can't easily trace the pages and posts which led me to comment. I recall two threads where rational concerns were raised in official gmail forums, & saw another on a tech blog or forum.

While it may seem obvious to adept and alert aficionados; I think there is some basis for concern, particularly with users who are inexperienced.

On 19 Nov 2011 08:37, "Marko Vukovic" <marko....@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Marko Vukovic]

Agreed Sarah, makes sense!

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Marko