Google defeats consumer lawsuit over Gemini data tracking claims

A federal court dismissed a class-action lawsuit accusing Google of secretly enabling its Gemini AI to scan users' Gmail, Google Chat, and Google Meet data without consent. The plaintiff alleged Google activated Smart Features by default on October 10, 2025, violating the California Invasion of Privacy Act. The ruling adds to Google's recent legal victories in privacy litigation.

Google defeats consumer lawsuit over Gemini data tracking claims A federal court sided with Google in a class-action case alleging the company quietly let its Gemini AI scan users' emails and chats without consent Google just shook off a privacy lawsuit that accused it of letting its Gemini AI silently rummage through users’ Gmail, Google Chat, and Google Meet data. The case, Thele v. Google LLC , was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California and alleged that Google flipped a switch on its “Smart Features” setting without bothering to ask anyone first. The lawsuit was brought by Thomas Thele on November 11, 2025, targeting what the complaint described as a stealth transition: Google allegedly enabled its AI-powered Smart Features by default on October 10, 2025, giving Gemini access to analyze private communications across its suite of products. The plaintiffs argued this violated the California Invasion of Privacy Act, or CIPA, along with other privacy statutes. What the lawsuit actually alleged The complaint in Thele v. Google alleged that Google exploited user inertia by toggling Smart Features to “on” without explicit consent, allegedly starting to let its AI read emails and chat messages by changing a setting most people would never notice existed. The plaintiffs claimed this constituted unauthorized access to private communications. Under CIPA, intercepting or monitoring electronic communications without consent can carry significant legal consequences. Gemini, Google’s flagship AI product that was rebranded from Bard in late 2023, has become increasingly embedded across Google’s ecosystem. When an AI assistant has access to your inbox, your video calls, and your chat history, the line between “helpful feature” and “surveillance tool” gets uncomfortably thin. Google’s winning streak in privacy litigation This isn’t the only privacy battle Google has won recently. In a related matter, Google successfully rejected a $2.36 billion disgorgement claim concerning legacy data practices on January 30, 2026. Multiple lawsuits targeting Gemini’s functionalities have emerged across various legal domains, from privacy violations to wrongful death claims to trademark disputes. The Thele case sits within a broader wave of litigation scrutinizing how tech companies handle user data as AI capabilities expand. As of early July 2026, there have been no public reports regarding settlements or final decisions in the Thele case. Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy https://cryptobriefing.com/editorial-policy/ .