Google has started rolling out an update to Gemini that will open up the company’s artificial intelligence to third-party apps installed on Android devices. The changes will take effect by default, and the process of opting out of them is quite complicated, informs ArsTechnica.
Users began receiving emails with a link to a support page that said “people (including service providers) read, comment on, and process” the data Gemini collects. It also explains that you can limit Gemini’s access to apps, but even then the data will be stored for 72 hours. The letter mentions WhatsApp, for example, but Google doesn’t explain how to completely block Gemini’s access to third-party apps.
However, further down in the same letter, the company contradicts the above, stating that users who previously disabled the Gemini App Activity History feature will not receive the update.
An ArsTechnica reporter reports that he was able to find Gemini’s data retention settings on one of Google’s account pages. There, you can completely delete the history of interaction with the chatbot and limit the further collection of information – except for its temporary storage for 72 hours. At the same time, no settings for integration with third-party applications were detected.
In comments to the media, Google did not provide a specific answer about how to completely limit Gemini’s access to other applications. Instead, the company said the new feature was created for the benefit of users.
“This update is beneficial for users: they can now use Gemini to perform any daily task on their mobile device, such as sending a message, making a call, or setting a timer as long as Activity History in Gemini apps is turned off. When Activity History is turned off, user chats with Gemini are not viewed or used to improve AI models.” – says the company’s statement.
Researchers at Tuta, a cloud-based email and calendar service provider, compare Gemini’s Android integration to the way Microsoft once built Internet Explorer into Windows. They also note that opting out of activity history is likely to avoid data collection beyond temporary storage for 72 hours. Also, if Gemini is not installed on the device, it should not appear even after future updates.
