What does it mean when a site asks to "Manage your contacts" when signing in with Google account?

[TroyOi]

These days, many third-party sites allow you to sign in via one's Google (or Facebook, or Twitter, etc.) account. In the past, I have not been in the habit of looking closely at the permissions that they ask you to grant before signing in. But I just noticed one site asking for permission to "manage" my Google contacts. What does that mean?? Will they actually be able to edit my contacts? (If they just want to see my contacts, why the word "manage".)

BTW, what also amazes me is the apparent dearth of information on this subject. With all the concern about privacy these days, you would think that Google would have an easily accessible page that explains precisely what permissions third party sites might request, and what those permissions might mean. But after searching, I can find precious little on the subject.

[tommyboy441]

I just had the same thing happen to me today and I could not find a word about the subject of "managing contacts" anywhere on the internet.

I just wanted to leave a comment on Scientific American's website about an article posted there, and the site said I would have to agree to let the site "manage" my contacts, which probably means harvest my email list after branding me according to my comments.

This is just another nail in the coffin for privacy and the (real) American way - one of a half dozen corporate moguls gets to pigeon hole you and sell your private information, such as email address, to the highest bidder EVERY TIME YOU MAKE A SINGLE COMMENT ON THE INTERNET!

Do what I do - quit Facebook and Google and use Startpage for searches, mailinator for "mandatory" email address requests and private browsing otherwise to eliminate cookies! Did you know that Google actually trolls through EVERY email you send looking for key words so it can sell you stuff and charge advertisers for hand-picked suckers who like whatever thing you may have been writing about?

You can always set up a dummy email account (which does NOT have your name in it!), complete with useless contacts on it so that you can regain your civic voice on the internet.