Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

reACTIONary

(7,385 posts)
37. Google AI categorically denies this....
Wed Jun 17, 2026, 06:51 PM
16 hrs ago

Of course, Google AI naturally would. But, for the other side of the issue, this is what Google AI says:

No, Google does not use your private Gmail content to train its public Gemini AI models, but there is an active class-action lawsuit and a widespread privacy debate surrounding these features. [1, 2]
## The Core Controversy: Facts vs. Rumors
A viral social media wave led to a class-action lawsuit filed against Google. The lawsuit alleges that Google secretly used its Gemini AI to scan private emails and attachments. Google has publicly denied these specific allegations, stating that the lawsuit is misleading. The company clarifies that while automated systems do process emails to power individual inbox tools, that data is never used to train public AI models. [1, 2]
## What Do "Smart Features" Actually Do?
The settings mentioned in your post are called Smart Features and Personalization. They are turned on by default for many users and utilize basic machine learning—not public generative AI—to provide convenience features. [3, 4]
If you choose to leave these features enabled, your email data is processed to automate:

* Smart Compose & Smart Reply: Predictive text and quick automated response suggestions.
* Inbox Categorization: Sorting emails automatically into Primary, Promotions, and Social tabs.
* Cross-App Integration: Automatically adding flight itineraries to Google Calendar or pulling tracking numbers into Google Maps. [4, 5, 6, 7]

## What Happens If You Turn Them Off?
If you follow the opt-out steps outlined in your post, you will successfully block Google from processing your text to personalize your dashboard. However, you will immediately lose access to automated tab sorting, text predictions, grammar tools, and automatic calendar updates. Furthermore, disabling these toggles will not stop Google from scanning your inbox for essential backend operational needs, such as filtering out spam, blocking malware, and detecting phishing attempts. [4, 5, 6, 8]
------------------------------
If you want to evaluate your digital privacy further, please let me know:

* Would you like step-by-step instructions to clear your historical data on Google?
* Are you interested in a comparison of alternative privacy-focused email providers?
* Do you want to check if you are eligible for any recent Google privacy settlements?


[1] [https://upcurvecloud.com](https://upcurvecloud.com/blog/separating-fact-from-fiction-gmail-privacy-and-ai-training-explained/)
[2] [https://www.nbcchicago.com](https://www.nbcchicago.com/video/news/local/google-accused-of-using-ai-to-exploit-data-from-gmail-accounts/3872487/)
[3] [https://www.malwarebytes.com](https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/11/gmail-is-reading-your-emails-and-attachments-to-train-its-ai-unless-you-turn-it-off)
[4] [https://www.youtube.com](
)
[5] [https://www.youtube.com](
&t=7)
[6] [https://www.jdsupra.com](https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/privacy-tip-475-gmail-users-urged-to-5393852/)
[7] [https://workspace.google.com](https://workspace.google.com/blog/product-announcements/updated-smart-feature-settings-give-users-increased-choice-and-control)
[8] [https://www.linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/luizajarovsky_important-if-youre-a-gmail-user-and-activity-7397279112115150848-G0GU)

Recommendations

3 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

People should do this ASAP. dalton99a 20 hrs ago #1
I have a proton.me account. This post should be shared with EVERYONE you care about. Maru Kitteh 20 hrs ago #2
Yep. I switched to Proton too for that reason. n/t CousinIT 20 hrs ago #5
+1. Proton email is legit. dalton99a 20 hrs ago #6
I have a gmail account but rarely use it. LogDog75 20 hrs ago #3
Marking for later. yardwork 20 hrs ago #4
Thank you for posting Raven123 20 hrs ago #7
Thanks for this info, MarineCombatEngineer 20 hrs ago #8
Thank you!!! Scrivener7 20 hrs ago #9
Bookmarking. n/t area51 20 hrs ago #10
How is this a threat to our privacy? SSJVegeta 20 hrs ago #11
Thanks for this. NNadir 20 hrs ago #12
Thanks for the heads-up! GiqueCee 20 hrs ago #13
Thanks. Bookmarked. c-rational 19 hrs ago #14
I had smart reply turned off but not the others nuxvomica 19 hrs ago #15
bookmarking to send my son in law and maybe he can do it for me. nt orleans 19 hrs ago #16
KNR and bookmarking. Thank you. I just recently noticed ai crap niyad 19 hrs ago #17
Thanks for this! CapnSteve 19 hrs ago #18
You used your Superpowers for good today. Thank you. ... aggiesal 19 hrs ago #19
This is one way that AI is used for nefarious purposes. patphil 19 hrs ago #20
I have a gmail acct, but I go through the web address, should I do anything different? irisblue 19 hrs ago #21
Kick, and... Justice matters. 18 hrs ago #29
Thx irisblue 17 hrs ago #30
Same question here. (And redo after updates?) TommyT139 17 hrs ago #31
This is great info - THANKS! FakeNoose 19 hrs ago #22
Many thanks for this post!!!! alwaysinasnit 19 hrs ago #23
I would surmise... purr-rat beauty 18 hrs ago #24
Yeah but Sergei has already give the GOP fraud and corruption crime family Akakoji 12 hrs ago #42
So bookmarked. Prairie_Seagull 18 hrs ago #25
Rotten bastards! 🤬 SheltieLover 18 hrs ago #26
Thanks! Saving for later. yellow dahlia 18 hrs ago #27
replying for easy retrieval (nt) ret5hd 18 hrs ago #28
Checked everything on my laptop and the settings were already off. Talitha 17 hrs ago #32
Thank you, and bookmarked. GoodRaisin 17 hrs ago #33
The problem is that most people don't care. They give away their privacy to anyone and everyone Wonder Why 17 hrs ago #34
Thanks BaronChocula 17 hrs ago #35
Done, thank you!! debsy 16 hrs ago #36
Google AI categorically denies this.... reACTIONary 16 hrs ago #37
Thank you, but who's to say they are not... lying? (for profits) Justice matters. 16 hrs ago #38
Well, two observations.... reACTIONary 13 hrs ago #40
Ty much! sprinkleeninow 15 hrs ago #39
Where? Akakoji 13 hrs ago #41
KnR Alice Kramden 12 hrs ago #43
Thanks for this information! stage left 9 hrs ago #44
Bookmarking for later iemanja 8 hrs ago #45
Thank you for the info, I'm bookmarking this. 👍nt Raine 8 hrs ago #46
YEAH, I've HEARD that Gmail spys on my emails to train their A.I.---- Jack Valentino 4 hrs ago #47
Do these directions apply to iPhone? I have none of these options in my GMail app. Lonestarblue 4 hrs ago #48
This is not all that new Gum Logger 2 hrs ago #49
Mine have been fixed for a long time. Liberal In Texas 2 hrs ago #50
k&r rpannier 1 hr ago #51
Thank you for this. VERY useful. (n/t) OldBaldy1701E 1 hr ago #52
Thanks but Android doesn't have Menu (☰ → Settings → Select your account → Turn off "Smart features and pers CurtEastPoint 1 hr ago #53
iPhone doesn't either Ziggy Beans 1 hr ago #55
thanks...on Android I don't see 'smart features' there. CurtEastPoint 27 min ago #57
Thanks, but I'm not sure your app instructions are correct Ziggy Beans 1 hr ago #54
Thank you Justice matters. Did them all! Bookmarked. Clouds Passing 1 hr ago #56
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»(Re: Sneaky AI enslavemen...»Reply #37