Google accused of using Gemini AI to spy on Gmail and Chat users without consent

Google is facing a lawsuit in the United States over allegations that its Gemini AI assistant was used to secretly monitor and collect data from users’ private communications across Gmail, Chat and Meet.

As per CNBC-TV18, according to a complaint filed in federal court in San Jose, California, the Alphabet Inc. subsidiary is accused of unlawfully tracking emails, instant messages and video calls without user consent. The suit claims that while users were previously given the option to activate Gemini, the company “secretly” enabled the tool by default across its communication platforms in October.

The proposed class-action lawsuit asserts that this move allowed Google to harvest private information from millions of users, including “every email and attachment sent and received,” all without their knowledge or permission. Although Google provides the option to disable Gemini, the complaint argues that doing so requires users to navigate deep into the platform’s privacy settings, effectively concealing the feature’s activation.

The suit alleges that Google’s actions violate the California Invasion of Privacy Act, a 1967 statute that forbids covert recording or wiretapping of private conversations without the consent of all participants.

Google has not yet issued a public response to the allegations. The case, Thele v. Google LLC (25-cv-09704), is being heard in the US District Court for the Northern District of California (San Jose).