- Google updated privacy, now using user media for AI.
- New settings broaden data collection from Google services.
- Collected data trains AI models and improves its services.
If you use Google Search, Maps, Translate, or any related service, there is a good chance your photos, voice recordings, and videos are now being used to train the company’s AI models. Google quietly updated its privacy settings in June, notifying users via email, and in doing so, automatically opted people into expanded AI training. Unless you manually change your settings, your uploaded media is fair game.
Here is what changed and how you can take back some control.
What Data Is Google Now Collecting From You?
The update introduced two new settings, Search Services History and Personalised Recommendations, separating what was previously managed under a single “Web and App Activity” toggle. This matters because if you had previously adjusted your Web and App Activity settings to limit data storage, those changes no longer apply to Google Search services, which is now a standalone setting, switched on by default.
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According to the company’s own help documentation, Google “uses your history to provide, develop, and improve its services (such as training generative AI models) and to protect Google, its users, and the public with the help of human reviewers.”
The scope is wider than most users might expect. Google Lens searches, voice inputs through Search Live, audio from Google Translate practice sessions, and media across Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, and News are all included.
Google confirmed this directly in its customer email, stating: “Like your Search Services History, your saved media is also used to develop and improve Google services and technologies, including AI models and safety measures.”
How Can You Opt Out Of Google’s AI Training?
- Visit the Search Services History settings page in your Google account
- Uncheck the “Save Media” box, or uncheck both available boxes to limit data storage broadly
- Set an auto-deletion schedule for saved data, choosing between three months, 18 months, or 36 months
- From there, review additional privacy controls covering Web and App Activity, Timeline, and YouTube History
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While Google does offer opt-out options, the default settings favour data collection. Taking a few minutes to review your privacy preferences is worth it to stay in control of your personal information.
