[…]As highlighted in a Reddit post, Google recently sent out an email to some Android users informing them that Gemini will now be able to “help you use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities on your phone whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off.” That change, according to the email, will take place on July 7. In short, that sounds—at least on the surface—like whether you have opted in or out, Gemini has access to all of those very critical apps on your device.
Google continues in the email, which was screenshotted by Android Police, by stating that “if you don’t want to use these features, you can turn them off in Apps settings page,” but doesn’t elaborate on where to find that page or what exactly will be disabled if you avail yourself of that setting option. Notably, when App Activity is enabled, Google stores information on your Gemini usage (inputs and responses, for example) for up to 72 hours, and some of that data may actually be reviewed by a human. That’s all to say that enabling Gemini access to those critical apps by default may be a bridge too far for some who are worried about protecting their privacy or wary of AI in general.
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The worst part is, if we’re not careful, all of that information might end up being collected without our consent, or at least without our knowledge. I don’t know about you, but as much as I want AI to order me a cab, I think keeping my text messages private is a higher priority.
