A recent change to Google’s privacy settings is allowing the company to store more of your data, including media such as “images, files, and audio and video
recordings,” to improve its AI models. In other words, if you upload any media to Google’s Search services, it’s being used to train AI unless you opt out.
The change came about via an under-the-radar update to Google’s Search services privacy settings, announced in June via a customer email. With the update, the company essentially opted people into this expanded AI training under the guise of giving users more control over their saved history and personalized recommendations.
What You Should Do
If you’re not comfortable with Google using your Search uploads for AI training, you’ll have to disable the new setting yourself. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to My Google Activity.
- You may be asked to sign in to your Google Account.
- Select Search Services History.
- Adjust your Save Media subsetting by checking or unchecking the box.
When this Save Media subsetting is off, your media from your interactions with Google Search services won’t be saved to your Search Services History. If you turn this Save Media subsetting off, previously saved media isn’t deleted and may continue to be used to improve Google technologies unless you delete it from your account. You can delete your saved media any time
