Google faces lawsuit over alleged secret AI surveillance of Gmail, Chat and Meet users

Google's alleged activation of Gemini AI tracking by default in Gmail, Chat, and Meet without user consent marks a significant controversy in AI surveillance policies, as it allegedly scanned private communications, including financial, medical, religious, and political data, despite previously requiring opt-in agreements. This means that website owners who integrate Google services, such as Gmail or Google Meet, into their platforms may be inadvertently collecting sensitive user data without their knowledge or consent. As a result, website owners may be held liable for violating user privacy, which could lead to a loss of trust and potential legal repercussions. Furthermore, this alleged secret AI surveillance may also affect website owners who rely on Google's services for customer communication, potentially compromising the security and confidentiality of sensitive information exchanged between customers and the website. To mitigate potential risks, website owners should take the following actionable steps: (1) review their Google service integrations and assess potential data collection risks, (2) update their privacy policies to reflect any potential data collection by Google's AI tracking, and (3) consider implementing additional security measures, such as encrypting sensitive user data, to protect against unauthorized access and ensure compliance with relevant data protection regulations, including updating their llms.txt files to reflect any changes in AI bot traffic and data collection policies.