A tech expert is urging Gmail users to switch off several features over concerns that Google could automatically access their sensitive email data and use it to train AI. A lawsuit filed on 25 November by Illinois resident Thomas Thele claimed that on 10 October 2025, Google secretly turned on Gemini for all its users' Gmail, Chat, and Meet accounts, enabling AI to track its users' private communications without the users' knowledge or consent. Engineering YouTuber Davey Jones wrote in a viral X post that users have been automatically opted in to allow Gmail to access all private messages and attachments to train AI models.
Users must manually turn off Smart Features in the Settings menu in two locations. Cybersecurity software company MalwareBytes stated that Google is pushing to power new Gmail features with its Gemini AI, helping users write emails faster and manage inboxes more efficiently, and to do that, Google is using real email content, including attachments, to train and refine its AI models. Google refuted this claim, with a spokesperson telling Newsweek that the reports are misleading, that Gmail Smart Features have existed for many years, and that the company does not use Gmail content for training its Gemini AI model. Disabling these features will also disable useful tools including smart compose, the function that filters emails into promotional and social inboxes, and even spell-check, grammar check and autocorrect.
Desktop and laptop users must click on the See all settings tab, go to the Smart features setting, and unselect Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet, whilst on smartphones, users must pull up their settings page and click on data privacy to deactivate Smart features and go to the Google Workspace smart features to follow suit for Workspace and Google products. The Pew Research Centre reports that 6 in 10 Americans share concerns about how AI is used in their lives. The controversy highlights the ongoing tension between convenience and privacy in AI-powered services, with users now required to navigate complex settings to protect their personal communications from automated analysis.
Sources:
1. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/gmail-users-urged-switch-off-194224865.html
2. https://dnyuz.com/2026/01/06/gmail-users-urged-to-switch-off-these-two-main-features-over-privacy-concerns/
3. https://www.newsweek.com/gmail-users-warned-opt-out-new-feature-11088257
4. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/opt-out-gmail-ai-training-goog_l_69405837e4b0fa125e7f49a7/amp
