Is Gmail Reading Your Emails? Two Default Settings Raising Privacy Alarms

New Delhi: The debate regarding privacy has once again intensified for Gmail users. After the claim of a tech expert, a question is being raised among the users whether their personal emails and attachments can be used by Google to train its AI model. According to reports, there are some smart features in Gmail that are on by default, and through these, AI can access the data.

Where did the new claim come from?

Engineering YouTuber and tech expert Devery Jones posted on social media platform He says that some features of Gmail give access to users' personal mail and files, which can be used in training AI systems. Describing it as a serious issue, he said that if the users do not want this then they will have to change the settings themselves.

Which features are becoming a cause for concern?

According to the report, Gmail’s “Smart Features” and “Workspace Smart Features” are the most questioned. With the help of these features, tools like Ask Gemini, email summary, smart suggestion and Google Assistant work. Tech experts believe that these AI tools depend to a great extent on the data present in the inbox, which increases the apprehension regarding user privacy.

What can users do?

If a user wants to turn off these AI features, he will have to go to Gmail's settings and make changes. Open Gmail on a desktop or laptop and go to “See all settings”. There you have to go to the “Smart features” section and uncheck “Turn on smart features on Gmail, Chat, and Meet”. After this, by clicking on “Manage Workspace smart feature settings”, other smart features related to Google products and Workspace will also have to be turned off so that possible access of AI can be prevented.

What explanation did Google give?

On these allegations, Google has clearly said that the data of Gmail users is not used to train AI models. According to the company, the data is only used for proper functioning and processing of features. However, many cybersecurity experts believe that AI features like Gemini may be overly invasive and that Gmail's complex settings confuse ordinary users.

At present, this debate continues. In such a situation, experts advise that users should check their Gmail settings and if necessary, keep the smart features under their own control.