Cross posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39114169
How to opt out
Opting out requires you to change settings in two places, so I’ve tried to make it as easy to follow as possible. Feel free to let me know in the comments if I missed anything.
To fully opt out, you must turn off Gmail’s “Smart features” in two separate locations in your settings. Don’t miss one, or AI training may continue.
Step 1: Turn off Smart Features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet settings Open Gmail on your desktop or mobile app. Click the gear icon → See all settings (desktop) or Menu → Settings (mobile). Find the section called Smart Features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet. You’ll need to scroll down quite a bit. Smart features settings Uncheck this option. Scroll down and hit Save changes if on desktop. Step 2: Turn off Google Workspace Smart Features Still in Settings, locate Google Workspace smart features. Click on Manage Workspace smart feature settings. You’ll see two options: Smart features in Google Workspace and Smart features in other Google products. Smart feature settings Toggle both off. Save again in this screen. Step 3: Verify if both are off Make sure both toggles remain off. Refresh your Gmail app or sign out and back in to confirm changes. Why two places? Google separates “Workspace” smart features (email, chat, meet) from smart features used across other Google apps. To fully opt out of feeding your data into AI training, both must be disabled.
Note Your account might not show these settings enabled by default yet (mine didn’t). Google appears to be rolling this out gradually. But if you care about privacy and control, double-check your settings today.
Are you surprised? More than 10 years ago, when you bought a plane ticket and used Gmail, without opening the email, it added the date and time of the flight to your calendar with a reminder…
If the product is free, you are the product.
Okay but that was very useful and generally beneficial
This is an actually useful feature though. I used to have this same setup with dovecot&nextcloud (show invites in the calendar automatically).
Tldr delete your account
The instructions suggest turning off features in two apps I don’t use.
Does this mean people only using webmail aren’t having their messages used for training, or just that they can’t opt out?
When you do this they also turn off spellcheck and categories lmfao.
Fucking hell I reeeeeally need to setup Proton.
Just do it step by step. I left everything US this year and changing email accounts was definitely the most tedious. But in the end I took my time with it. Switching 3 accounts per day was alright. :) Just start with the most important accounts and change the others when you need them.
Appreciate the optimistic positivity. Honestly pretty ready to pull the bandaid at this point I just know it’ll be a process.
and let’s be clear: they always read your emails. the difference here now is the llm training.
Or don’t have a Google account.
Well yeah but then the mails your receive from Gmail users or the ones you send to are still captured unless they have opted out. Which you can’t see without asking.
Only a few email services respect user privacy, anyway.
True but we were talking about Google here that’s why I mentioned Gmail. But yes with Microsoft it’s the same. And together they control most of the email accounts in the world.
You can have an Google Account without GMail. Drop GMail was the easiest step in my way to degoogle.
Hard nowdays, especially for students and workers
Easy to use the work/student account just for those activities. Use a different service for personal.
And the EU is dropping its protection against unwanted AI training 🤬🤬🤬
Wait, what? Really?
Yes they are changing gdpr so that training AI on user data becomes “legitimate use” and won’t need opt in approval (though there may or may not be an opt out(
https://noyb.eu/en/digital-omnibus-eu-commission-wants-wreck-core-gdpr-principles
Also many other principles are being removed. It’s basically a surrender to Trump and his big tech buddies
It is mindblowing to me that anyone would think you can really opt out and they will respect that.
Even if they did, your messages are going to be scanned via your recipients who use Gmail without opting out.
This is a very clever catch and very true. I didn’t think of this.
if anything, i do stuff like this to withdraw my consent.
This shit should be strictly opt-in. As much as I hate overbearing governments, they should’ve stepped in and made it illegal to use already collected data for a new purpose without first obtaining permission. What about people who lost access to their accounts or who’ve died or something?
