Be warned — if you don’t get on top of the AI being stitched through your apps and platforms, you will have no control over what data is being shared and who it’s being shared with. That’s behind the raft of new Gmail warnings, with millions of users now caught in a new world that few understand and that seemingly evades controls. Here’s what you need to do now.
With Google’s recent upgrade to add default AI settings to key Workspace apps — first and foremost Gmail, those wanting to safeguard their data are looking for easy-button controls. But right now, that’s a major issue. As 9to5Google explains, “as Gemini is now readily available to Google Workspace subscribers, admins have found that the ability to disable the new AI features is hidden behind a conversation with Google support.” Not good.
Data leakage through AI engines is now headline news courtesy of DeepSeek, China’s answer to Gemini and ChatGPT. And while that example is clearly acute, with user data and tracking heading to China by default and weak security controls, Gemini has also come in for criticism. “Opting out of Gmail’s Gemini AI summaries is a mess,” 404Media has warned, advising users “here’s how to do it, we think.” Again, not good.
As one Redditor complained, “I was annoyed by the new Gemini for Workspace features. In the admin page –> generative AI –> Gemini for Workspace, there were no settings to toggle on / off. I chatted with customer support, and at my request they ADDED the settings, after which I was able to toggle off all Gemini for Workspace settings (gmail, etc.).”
9to5Google explains that “it’s quite frustrating that, for a number of Workspace admins, the ability to turn off Gemini AI features appears to just not exist by default. Google, on a support page, says that the ability to ‘manage access to Gemini features in Workspace services’ is only available to ‘Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus’ accounts. That appears to be true, as a number of admins have found that the Workspace Admin Dashboard shows no option to turn off Gemini features. Some Enterprise users claim to not have these settings at all too… Customer support representatives apparently have the ability to enable a new menu of settings which can be used to turn off Gemini on the Google Workspace Admin Console.”
The AI data leakage was behind the DeepSeek scare, when the security industry pointed out that all the data shared with China’s disruptive AI engine was (unsurprisingly) heading straight for China. But as I have said before, while the Chinese angle has intensified the debate, it didn’t create it. The risk is still there, even with U.S. and other western engines.
Harmonic Security warns in a new report that generative AI tools “come [with] significant risks related to data security. Despite their potential, many organizations hesitate to fully adopt Al tools due to concerns about sensitive data being inadvertently shared and possibly used to train these systems. Organizations risk losing their competitive edge if they expose sensitive data. Yet at the same time, they also risk losing out if they don’t adopt GenAl and fall behind.”
This is not isolated to enterprise users. The entire AI ecosystem now being added to the critical platforms and services we use needs a clear set of controls and policies. Instead it is evolving in real-time with little consistency. As 404Media says, while some users will “love” the new AI features, “others are going to want to run away from it as quickly as possible. Many people—including us—are already furious that they were automatically opted into it. Turns out, disabling it isn’t straightforward.”
And so, whether you’re a home or enterprise user, take some time to decide what’s right for you (or those you’re responsible for) and adjust your settings accordingly. Don’t be bounced into taking risks you’re not comfortable with by a mix of hype and FOMO. Harmonic Security says more than 80% of companies now worry about sensitive information leaking via GenAI.
I have reached out to Google for their thoughts and advice.
