Google is facing a major class-action lawsuit that accuses it of covertly enabling its Gemini AI assistant to monitor private user data across Gmail, Chat and Meet without prior consent or notification.
Filed in a federal court in San Jose, the suit alleges that in October, the tech giant quietly activated Gemini across its communication platforms, giving the AI system sweeping access to user emails, messages and video calls.
The case raises critical questions about transparency, digital surveillance and whether existing privacy laws can keep pace with the rapid deployment of generative AI in everyday tools used by millions.
Gemini activation triggers legal backlash
According to the filing, users of Google’s flagship communication tools were previously able to activate Gemini at their discretion.
That changed last month when the company reportedly turned on the AI by default, applying it across Gmail, Chat and Meet.
The lawsuit claims this rollout occurred without warning or user agreement, effectively granting the AI continuous access to vast amounts of private content.
Once activated, Gemini was allegedly able to analyse every element of communication from the body of an email to its attachments, and from chat messages to video call transcripts.
The AI could extract insights from all past and current content unless manually switched off in account settings. This approach, the complaint argues, bypassed informed consent and embedded surveillance into everyday tools.
Privacy settings buried from view
Although Google technically allowed users to opt out of Gemini, the lawsuit highlights that this option was far from transparent.
The deactivation path required navigating through layered privacy menus, without any notification that the AI had been enabled by default.
As a result, many users remained unaware that Gemini had been engaged, and that their communication data was being continuously processed.
The filing asserts that this design choice was deliberate. It contends that Google’s deployment strategy was structured to preserve the appearance of user choice while collecting as much data as possible in practice.
The suit describes this as a form of “secret data acquisition” that affected the integrity of private email, chat and meeting platforms.
Violation of California privacy law alleged
The legal case invokes the California Invasion of Privacy Act, which prohibits the unauthorised recording or interception of confidential communications.
Under this law, all parties to a private exchange must be aware of, and consent to, any recording or monitoring taking place.
The suit argues that Google’s rollout of Gemini violated this requirement by embedding AI into platforms used for private conversations without the knowledge of participants.
By treating AI processing as a background feature, the complaint claims, Google sidestepped legal obligations and user trust. The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, could represent a substantial user base affected by the covert activation.
If successful, it could lead to both financial penalties and changes to how Google deploys AI across its services.
Implications for tech and AI regulation
This case adds new urgency to the debate surrounding AI and digital rights. As generative tools become more deeply integrated into consumer applications, questions about consent, control and transparency have taken centre stage.
Google’s scale and influence make this lawsuit particularly consequential, as it touches on whether major platforms can silently embed data-processing AI without clear user approval.
No public response has been issued by Google at the time of writing, and the company has yet to comment on the specifics of the claims made in court.
With AI now embedded in tools used by hundreds of millions globally, the boundaries of lawful AI use remain a moving target, and this case could set an important precedent.
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