Overview
- Google says it has not changed user settings and does not use Gmail messages or attachments to train its Gemini AI, calling the circulating reports misleading.
- Malwarebytes updated its widely shared post, acknowledging a misunderstanding caused by recent wording and placement of Gmail’s Smart Features settings.
- Reporters who tested multiple accounts found Smart Features settings present and, for many new accounts, enabled by default, and one Verge staffer reported being opted back in after opting out.
- Gmail’s Smart Features scan email content to power personalization and core functions such as spam filtering and suggestions, which outlets note is distinct from training generative models, and users can disable these settings at the cost of losing conveniences.
- Regional defaults can differ under stricter privacy regimes, and a Nov. 11 federal lawsuit in San Jose alleging secret activation of Gemini access to Gmail, Chat and Meet remains unresolved.