A story that went viral last year is once again making the rounds. It involves an overinflated claim that Google has opted Gmail users into a program that allows them to “train its AI on your private emails and attachments.” The reality is actually far less sinister. Yes, Gmail is able to scan messages “to power spam filtering, spell check, smart replies and inbox sorting,” but no one is actually combing through your individual emails looking for juicy details to gossip about and abuse. Users do have options, though, when it comes to how email information is used, and the controls to access those options can be confusing.
- While in Gmail, click the gear icon
- From there, go to the “general’ tab, and look for “smart features”
- If you want to opt out, just uncheck it
- Then, you click on “manage workspace smart features” and toggle those off as well
- If you’re using a mobile device, go to “settings,” tap “data privacy,” and make those same changes there
Those “smart features” will no longer be activated. If you realize you miss having them, just retrace those steps and turn them back on. While you’re at it, check out the “privacy checkup tool” and get a walkthrough of what data of yours is being collected and what’s being done with it.
Source: WTOP