Google accused of secretly activating Gemini AI to scan private messages
Google is accused in a class-action lawsuit of secretly activating Gemini AI in Gmail, Chat, and Meet without user consent, granting it access to the entire history of private communications. The plaintiffs claim the opt-out setting is hidden in privacy menus, effectively making the feature opt-in by default and violating California's Invasion of Privacy Act.
What happened
According to a proposed class-action suit filed in San Jose, California, Google 'secretly' activated Gemini AI for Gmail, Google Chat, and Meet on or around October 10, 2025, without clearly informing users.
The complaint alleges Gemini has access to 'the entire recorded history' of users' private communications, including emails, attachments, and chat messages, unless users choose to opt out.
While users can turn Gemini off, the lawsuit argues the setting is buried deep in Google's privacy menus, making it hard for the average user to find.
Reported impact
The lawsuit suggests Google's actions reflect a deeper issue with its transparency: rather than making Gemini clearly opt-in, it was turned on by default.
If true, this raises major questions about whether Google's design of privacy settings is intentionally or negligently opaque, effectively forcing data collection on users who don't dig into advanced settings.
Index analysis
The case could be a major test of how existing privacy law applies to AI, touching on how legacy laws like wiretapping statutes apply to modern AI systems and whether regulatory frameworks need updating for generative AI.
The lawsuit underlines the need for stronger transparency and accountability in AI, particularly for tools deeply embedded in users' personal and professional lives.
Governance controls
The complaint points to a tension built into Google's AI strategy: Gemini is deeply integrated into its core productivity tools (Gmail, Chat, Meet), so automatically enabling it could serve Google's AI-data feedback loops at the cost of user privacy.
The plaintiffs claim this violates California's Invasion of Privacy Act, which prohibits recording private communications without consent.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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