diff --git a/Documentation/rest-api-accounts.txt b/Documentation/rest-api-accounts.txt
index 28ecc97cb8..10a2ff3239 100644
--- a/Documentation/rest-api-accounts.txt
+++ b/Documentation/rest-api-accounts.txt
@@ -1728,6 +1728,10 @@ can contain a list of link:#project-watch-info[ProjectWatchInfo] entities.
 
 Retrieves the external ids of a user account.
 
+Only external ids belonging to the caller may be requested. Users that have
+link:access-control.html#capability_modifyAccount[Modify Account] can request
+external ids that belong to other accounts.
+
 .Request
 ----
   GET /a/accounts/self/external.ids HTTP/1.0
@@ -1761,7 +1765,9 @@ link:#account-external-id-info[AccountExternalIdInfo] entities.
 Delete a list of external ids for a user account. The target external ids must
 be provided as a list in the request body.
 
-Only external ids belonging to the caller may be deleted.
+Only external ids belonging to the caller may be deleted. Users that have
+link:access-control.html#capability_modifyAccount[Modify Account] can delete
+external ids that belong to other accounts.
 
 .Request
 ----
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/account/DeleteExternalIds.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/account/DeleteExternalIds.java
index 80f0bb1164..445a5d6566 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/account/DeleteExternalIds.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/account/DeleteExternalIds.java
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public class DeleteExternalIds implements RestModifyView<AccountResource, List<S
   public Response<?> apply(AccountResource resource, List<String> extIds)
       throws RestApiException, IOException, ConfigInvalidException, PermissionBackendException {
     if (!self.get().hasSameAccountId(resource.getUser())) {
-      permissionBackend.currentUser().check(GlobalPermission.ACCESS_DATABASE);
+      permissionBackend.currentUser().check(GlobalPermission.MODIFY_ACCOUNT);
     }
 
     if (extIds == null || extIds.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/account/GetExternalIds.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/account/GetExternalIds.java
index c5b445459c..a3c48b9c53 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/account/GetExternalIds.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/account/GetExternalIds.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public class GetExternalIds implements RestReadView<AccountResource> {
   public Response<List<AccountExternalIdInfo>> apply(AccountResource resource)
       throws RestApiException, IOException, PermissionBackendException {
     if (!self.get().hasSameAccountId(resource.getUser())) {
-      permissionBackend.currentUser().check(GlobalPermission.ACCESS_DATABASE);
+      permissionBackend.currentUser().check(GlobalPermission.MODIFY_ACCOUNT);
     }
 
     Collection<ExternalId> ids = externalIds.byAccount(resource.getUser().getAccountId());
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/account/ExternalIdIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/account/ExternalIdIT.java
index 6e164356f5..53e871f8e7 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/account/ExternalIdIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/account/ExternalIdIT.java
@@ -132,14 +132,14 @@ public class ExternalIdIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
     AuthException thrown =
         assertThrows(
             AuthException.class, () -> gApi.accounts().id(admin.id().get()).getExternalIds());
-    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("access database not permitted");
+    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("modify account not permitted");
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void getExternalIdsOfOtherUserWithAccessDatabase() throws Exception {
+  public void getExternalIdsOfOtherUserWithModifyAccount() throws Exception {
     projectOperations
         .allProjectsForUpdate()
-        .add(allowCapability(GlobalCapability.ACCESS_DATABASE).group(REGISTERED_USERS))
+        .add(allowCapability(GlobalCapability.MODIFY_ACCOUNT).group(REGISTERED_USERS))
         .update();
 
     Collection<ExternalId> expectedIds = getAccountState(admin.id()).externalIds();
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ public class ExternalIdIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
                 gApi.accounts()
                     .id(admin.id().get())
                     .deleteExternalIds(extIds.stream().map(e -> e.identity).collect(toList())));
-    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("access database not permitted");
+    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("modify account not permitted");
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -213,10 +213,10 @@ public class ExternalIdIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void deleteExternalIdsOfOtherUserWithAccessDatabase() throws Exception {
+  public void deleteExternalIdsOfOtherUserWithModifyAccount() throws Exception {
     projectOperations
         .allProjectsForUpdate()
-        .add(allowCapability(GlobalCapability.ACCESS_DATABASE).group(REGISTERED_USERS))
+        .add(allowCapability(GlobalCapability.MODIFY_ACCOUNT).group(REGISTERED_USERS))
         .update();
 
     List<AccountExternalIdInfo> externalIds = gApi.accounts().self().getExternalIds();
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ public class ExternalIdIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
   public void readExternalIdsWhenInvalidExternalIdsExist() throws Exception {
     projectOperations
         .allProjectsForUpdate()
-        .add(allowCapability(GlobalCapability.ACCESS_DATABASE).group(REGISTERED_USERS))
+        .add(allowCapability(GlobalCapability.MODIFY_ACCOUNT).group(REGISTERED_USERS))
         .update();
     requestScopeOperations.resetCurrentApiUser();