Google Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Privacy Violations by Gemini AI Assistant
Google is facing a lawsuit that accuses the company of using its Gemini AI assistant to track the private communications of users of Gmail, instant messaging, and videoconference services. Previously, users had the option to enable Google's artificial intelligence program, but in October, Gemini was reportedly activated for all these applications without users' knowledge or consent. This move allowed Google to collect private data without explicit permission.
According to the complaint filed in federal court in San Jose, California, users can disable Gemini in Google's privacy settings, but they need to actively seek out this option. Failure to do so means that Google can access and exploit the entire history of users' private communications, including emails and attachments in Gmail accounts. The lawsuit alleges that Google's actions violate the California Invasion of Privacy Act, which prohibits unauthorized wiretapping and recording of confidential communications.
Google has not yet responded to the allegations made in the lawsuit. The case, titled Thele v. Google LLC, is currently pending in the US District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose. For more news and updates, visit bloomberg.com.