Google Gemini routes personal Drive files and emails to human annotators(github.com)
716 points by gf74918 2 days ago | 147 comments
tl;dr: Google has quietly reversed its 2023 promise that personal Gmail, Docs, and Drive content connected to Gemini wouldn't be seen by human reviewers, now explicitly warning users not to connect apps containing confidential data. Testing shows Gemini probabilistically ingests Workspace content—ranging from metadata summaries to full unredacted file contents including PII—triggered autonomously by casual conversation without explicit @Drive or @Gmail tags. Google's automated scrubbers reportedly fail to deidentify narrative data like account numbers and transaction details before contractor review.
HN Discussion:
  • ~Clarifies scope: only consumer Gemini with Connected Apps is affected, not Workspace
  • ↑Personal anecdote confirms Gemini silently reads emails without disclosure
  • ↑Broader privacy erosion by Big Tech makes this unsurprising and expected
  • ↑AI race is causing reckless shortcuts on privacy that will have consequences
  • ↑Article prompted practical action to disable the feature in their account