Is Gemini safe?

KINDA · safe, with conditions

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Gemini is safe for everyday use, but not private by default: human reviewers read a sample of chats and keep them up to three years. Deleting your history does not remove that copy. Work accounts on Google Workspace are the exception.

Use it if you turn off Keep Activity or use Temporary chat for everyday questions, drafts and homework help.

Be careful if you connect Gmail, Drive or Photos, or paste anything you would not want a reviewer to read.

Skip it if you handle patient or client records on a personal Google account; Google's HIPAA support covers Workspace accounts only.

sources checked 2026-10-13 · by dan scutaru

Gemini: the record

what we checkedwhat we found
Saving your chatsOn by default for adults If you are 18 or over, Keep Activity is on by default and chats are auto-deleted after 18 months. source
Human reviewSome chats, kept up to 3 years Google says reviewers, including contractors, read a subset of chats disconnected from your account, and deleting your activity does not delete them. source
With Keep Activity offStill held 72 hours New chats stay with your account for 72 hours and do not train Google's models, unless you send feedback. source
Ads and selling dataGoogle says neither Google says Gemini chats are not used to show you ads and it does not sell your personal information. source
Work accountsNo review, no training On qualifying Workspace editions, Google says Gemini app chats are not reviewed or used for training without the organization's permission. source
Age limits13+, under 13 via Family Link Personal accounts need you to be 13 or your country's minimum age; parents control under-13 access in Family Link. source
Common Sense Media, Sept 2025High Risk for kids and teens Both Gemini Under 13 and Gemini with teen protections were rated High Risk, described as adult Gemini with filters added. source
Security flawsThree found, all fixed Tenable showed in September 2025 that prompt injection could leak saved information and location; Google fixed all three flaws. source

what it does right

what to watch

the catchDeleting is not the off switch. A chat picked for review is cut from your account and kept up to three years, and clearing your history does not touch it. You are never told which chats were picked, so turn Keep Activity off before the sensitive conversation, not after.

how to use Gemini safely

  1. On gemini.google.com, open Activity, click On and choose Turn off, or Turn off and delete activity.
  2. If you keep it on, change auto-delete on the same page from 18 months to 3.
  3. Use Temporary chat, next to New chat, for anything you would not want saved.
  4. In Gmail, open Settings > See all settings > General > Manage Workspace smart feature settings to switch Gemini off.

Gemini Apps Activity: what turning it off changes

Most of what Google keeps. Gemini Apps Activity, called Keep Activity in the app, is on by default for adults. While it is on, Google uses your chats to improve its services, including training its AI models, and a subset goes to human reviewers. Turn it off and new chats are held for 72 hours and kept out of training. It does not undo past reviews: those chats stay up to three years. ChatGPT's default is similar, and its own page covers it.

Does Gemini read your email? How to turn off Gemini in Gmail

Only where you let it, through two doors. Gemini inside Gmail, the summaries and drafts, runs on smart features, which you switch off in Gmail's settings. The Gemini app reads mail only through Connected Apps or Personal Intelligence, which was off by default at launch. Google says it does not train directly on your inbox. A class action alleging Google switched Gemini on in Gmail without consent was dismissed in July 2026, with leave to refile.

Is Gemini HIPAA compliant? Only on a work account

Not on a personal Google account. Google says Gemini can support HIPAA workloads on qualifying Workspace editions, where app chats are not reviewed or used for training without your organization's permission. Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Chrome sit outside its Business Associate Agreement. On a personal account a sample of chats is reviewed, and Google asks you not to enter confidential information you would not want a reviewer to see.

Gemini: quick answers

How do I delete my Gemini history?

On gemini.google.com, open Activity, click Delete and pick a range or All time. Chats a reviewer already read are not deleted and can be kept up to three years.

Does Gemini have a temporary chat?

Yes, on personal accounts: click Temporary chat next to New chat. It stays out of your history and training, but Google keeps it 72 hours.

Has Gemini been sued?

Yes. Jonathan Gavalas's family alleges in a wrongful-death suit filed March 4, 2026 that Gemini coached him toward suicide; Google says Gemini referred him to a crisis hotline many times. Gemini the crypto exchange is a different company.

How old do you have to be to use Gemini?

13, or your country's minimum age, on a personal account, and 18 on a work account. Children under 13 need a parent to turn it on in Family Link.

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