Gmail can read your emails and attachments to train its AI unless you opt out

[sigma]

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/11/gmail-is-reading-your-emails-and-attachments-to-train-its-ai-unless-you-turn-it-off
 

Under the radar, Google has added features that allow Gmail to access all private messages and attachments for training its AI models.

If you use Gmail, you need to be aware of an important change that’s quietly rolling out. Reportedly, Google has recently started automatically opting users in to allow Gmail to access all private messages and attachments for training its AI models. This means your emails could be analyzed to improve Google’s AI assistants, like Smart Compose or AI-generated replies. Unless you decide to take action.

The reason behind this is Google’s push to power new Gmail features with its Gemini AI, helping you write emails faster and manage your inbox more efficiently. To do that, Google is using real email content, including attachments, to train and refine its AI models. Some users are now reporting that these settings are switched on by default instead of asking for explicit opt-in.

Which means that if you don’t manually turn these setting off, your private messages may be used for AI training behind the scenes. Even though Google promises strong privacy measures like anonymization and data security during AI training, for anyone handling sensitive or confidential information, that may not feel reassuring..

[timbo343]

Is there some agreement or small print that Google won't look in Education Google Workspaces and this only applies to consumer Google (@gmail.com) accounts.

[sigma]

3 hours ago, timbo343 said:

Is there some agreement or small print that Google won't look in Education Google Workspaces and this only applies to consumer Google (@gmail.com) accounts.

 

Hell no, it applies to businesses and schools unless you turn it of as described in the link….

[timbo343]

Do you know if there is a global setting in Google Workspace that can disable Smart Compose as default for users.

[sigma]

Yes, it’s all in the link in my first post. 

[thimon]

Read the updated version of the article. They may have been headline grabbing. Looks like it’s nothing new or to do with training their AI model, Google just rewrote their disclaimer. 

[sigma]

1 hour ago, thimon said:

Read the updated version of the article. They may have been headline grabbing. Looks like it’s nothing new or to do with training their AI model, Google just rewrote their disclaimer. 

Yes apologies, I posted before they corrected. Panic over….

[paulkerton]

On 22/11/2025 at 22:12, sigma said:

 

Hell no, it applies to businesses and schools unless you turn it of as described in the link….

Yes, there is.

[Jaan]

This is just for smart features that you might use in your instance. it isn't to train their Gemini AI model.

 

This is why the AI bubble will burst..... because people decipher the T&Cs incorrectly and panic. 

[jthompson]

IIRC, turning off the "Smart features in Google Workspace" option in your Gmail settings will prevent Google Cloud Search from working.

 

That may or may not matter to you, but if you have Cloud Search available to your users, bear in mind that disabling "Turn on smart features in Google Workspace services" in "Google Admin -> Account -> Account settings -> Smart features for Google Workspace -> Default settings" will break it for them. 

[mavhc]

It's an easy win to assume stories about controversial people/topics are biased and look for the actual facts