Class-Action Suit Targets Google Over Gemini AI in Gmail, Chat

A proposed class-action lawsuit filed in federal court in San Jose, California, on Tuesday accuses Google of unlawfully activating its Gemini AI assistant across Gmail, Google Chat, and Google Meet services, allowing the tool to access users' private communications without their knowledge or consent.

The complaint, brought by plaintiffs including California residents, alleges that Google enabled Gemini by default in October for these applications, previously offered as optional features. According to the suit, this change permitted the AI to scan and analyze the full history of users' emails, attachments, messages, and video calls unless individuals manually disabled it through buried privacy settings. The plaintiffs claim this practice violates the California Invasion of Privacy Act, a 1967 law that bars the secret recording or interception of confidential communications without all parties' agreement. They seek unspecified damages and certification for a nationwide class of affected users.

Google has not immediately responded to requests for comment on the filing. The company previously described Gemini integrations as user-controlled options. For instance, a separate feature...