Google changed how Gemini handles data from Gmail, Docs and Drive. When Gemini (then Bard) first connected to those apps in September 2023, Google wrote that this content "is not seen by human reviewers, used by Bard to show you ads or used to train the Bard model." On October 16, 2026, Google added an update to that same 2023 blog post: if you turn on the new connected features, data from Workspace apps can be used to train generative AI models, depending on your settings, and "can also be subject to human review in limited circumstances."
Inc. columnist Jason Aten covered the change this week. Here is what it means for a personal Google account, how to limit it, and where your mail and files can go instead.
What changed
- Human review is now possible. Google says a subset of connected-app data can reach human reviewers, including trained reviewers at Google's service providers. Google calls this limited, and Inc. reports that Google says it tries to remove personal details first.
- Training depends on a setting. With Gemini's Keep Activity setting on, Google uses your activity to "develop, and improve its services (including training generative AI models)." With it off, chats are excluded from training unless you send feedback.
- Reviewed data outlives deletion. Google's Gemini privacy hub says chats that reviewers have seen are "retained for up to three years," even after you delete your Gemini activity.
- Google's own advice is caution. The same hub tells users: "Please don't enter confidential information that you wouldn't want a reviewer to see."
- It is opt-in. Nothing applies until you connect Gmail, Docs or Drive to Gemini. Workspace business and education accounts follow separate terms.
The opt-in matters less than it sounds. Connected apps only help if you connect your most private data, and the rules for that data changed after Google promised something else. A promise can be edited later. Encryption that keeps the provider out of your content stays in place whatever the policy says.
How to check and limit it
Open Gemini, go to Settings, then Apps (or Connected Apps), and disconnect Gmail, Google Drive and Google Docs. Then open Activity and turn Keep Activity off. Disconnecting stops new access. Anything already reviewed stays under Google's three-year retention.
The alternative: mail and files the provider cannot read
Proton Mail and Proton Drive store your messages and files with end-to-end and zero-access encryption, so Proton holds no readable copy to review, target ads with or train on. The service is funded by paid plans, and its apps are open source.
Switching can happen gradually. Proton's Easy Switch imports Gmail messages, contacts and calendars, and forwards new Gmail mail to your Proton inbox while you update your accounts. Google Drive files and Google Photos move with Google Takeout.
For AI help, Proton's assistant Lumo keeps no logs of your chats, never trains on them, and saves conversations with zero-access encryption. It has a free tier, and it works without access to your inbox.
Get Proton Mail Plus for $1.99/month
Black Friday prices through November 30
Proton's Black Friday sale runs through November 30, 2026, through partner links like the ones on this page. The discount is applied at checkout.
| Plan | Black Friday price | First term | Renews at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mail Plus (60% off, 15 GB) | $1.99/month | $23.88 for 12 months | $47.88 per year |
| Drive Plus (60% off, 200 GB) | $1.99/month | $23.88 for 12 months | $47.88 per year |
| Proton Unlimited (50% off, 500 GB) | $6.49/month | $77.88 for 12 months | $119.88 per year |
Proton Unlimited bundles Mail, Drive, Pass and VPN, which replaces Gmail and Google Drive in one plan. Every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Google's October 16 privacy policy change also lets connected Gmail data shape ads; we covered it in Google Can Now Use Gmail Data for Ads. Every Proton offer, including 75% off VPN Plus, is in our Proton Black Friday deals guide.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. Tuxxin earns a small commission when you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. Google details are from Google's September 2023 Bard blog post and its October 16, 2026 update, and the Gemini Apps Privacy Hub (updated October 26, 2026). Lumo details are from Proton's Lumo page. Proton prices were checked on Proton's Black Friday pages on October 27, 2026.