Last updated: January 17, 2025
What does this Privacy Hub cover?
This Generative AI for Google Workspace Privacy Hub covers Gemini for Workspace (e.g. Help me write in Gmail, side panel in Workspace) and the Gemini app on web (i.e. gemini.google.com) and mobile (Android and iOS). Throughout this Privacy Hub, we’ll refer to both products simply as Gemini. Any differences between the two will be clearly identified. For clarity this Privacy Hub only applies when you are using Gemini with a qualifying edition of Google Workspace or Google Workspace for Education.
Your privacy is our priority
We want to be completely clear that generative AI does not change our foundational privacy protections that give you choice and control over your data:
- Your interactions with Gemini stay within your organization. Gemini does not share your content outside your organization without your permission.
- Your existing Google Workspace protections are automatically applied. Gemini brings the same enterprise-grade security as the rest of Google Workspace.
- Your content is not used for any other customers. Your content is not human reviewed or used for Generative AI model training outside your domain without permission.
Summary of Gemini Privacy & Security Controls
| Gemini DOES NOT | Gemini DOES | |
|---|---|---|
| Data access | ✖ Access Workspace content that you don't have permission to access | ✅ Access relevant Workspace content based on your prompt and that you have permission to access |
| Data use | ✖ Use your content, your prompt, or the generated response to train or improve Gemini or any other generative AI models without permission | ✅ Use your prompt and relevant Workspace content to generate a response |
| Data protection | ✖ Share your prompt or the generated response with other users or organizations | ✅ Automatically apply your existing data protection controls when you insert the generated response into your email or document |
Questions
We understand that you may have questions about Gemini and how your data is processed. Below are the most frequently asked questions we receive from our customers. If you have a question that isn’t answered below, send us feedback using the link at the bottom of this page.
Data access and privacy
Does Gemini have access to my customer data?
Gemini abides by your organization’s existing controls and data handling practices. Gemini accesses customer data in order to provide personalized responses, such as summarizing a document in Google Docs or analyzing data in a Google Sheet.
Data stored by the customer through use of Google Workspace services is considered customer data as defined by the Cloud Data Processing Addendum (CDPA) and, as such, is governed by the data processing terms set out in the CDPA. Google only accesses and processes customer data in accordance with customer instruction as set out in the CDPA.
How does Gemini process user prompts?
How long are prompts saved?
Gemini for Workspace does not save prompts or responses. The prompts that a user enters when interacting with Gemini for Workspace are not used beyond the context of the user session. The data disappears after your Gemini session ends, as we explain in The life of a prompt: Demystifying Gemini.
The Gemini app saves your Gemini apps activity (such as your prompts and responses) to Your Gemini Apps Activity for up to 18 months. Your chats and uploaded files won't be reviewed by human reviewers or otherwise be used to train generative AI models. Admins have the ability to turn on and off access to the Gemini app for their organization and will soon be able to manage Gemini Apps activity duration in an upcoming release. Check back for updates.
How will Gemini handle and protect my sensitive data and information?
When Google Workspace business, education, and public sector customers use Gemini features, they get the same robust data protection and security standards that come with all Google Workspace services:
- Your interactions with Gemini stay within your organization. Gemini does not share your data outside your organization without your permission.
- Gemini brings the same enterprise-grade security as the rest of Google Workspace, automatically applying your organization’s existing controls and data handling practices.
- Your content is not used for any other customers. None of your content is used for generative AI model training outside of your domain without permission.
You can learn more here:
How is Gemini able to personalize answers while keeping my organization’s data private?
How does Google ensure confidential information is not leaked across different practices in my organization?
The strict data access control model for Gemini does not allow for inputs or session content to leak across user boundaries. The model is structured to only present data from a session to that individual user. Thus, information is not only kept private within an organization, it is also kept private between users within an organization subject to the built-in Workspace access control for shared files. Client-side encryption (CSE) can restrict Gemini’s access to sensitive data, because no Google system or Google employee have the technical means to access CSE content, so it can be leveraged to accomplish the same goal.
How is confidential information entered in prompts prevented from resurfacing outside my organization and to my competitors?
The prompts that a user enters when interacting with features available in Gemini are not used beyond the context of the user trust boundary. Prompt content is not used for training generative AI models outside of your domain without your permission.
How can I prevent sensitive data entered into prompts from being leaked outside my organization? Do Workspace Data Loss Prevention (DLP) capabilities apply to interactions with Gemini?
How can I restrict Gemini from accessing sensitive data such as HR or financial documents in Google Drive?
Gemini only retrieves relevant content in Workspace that the user has access to in order to contextualize the prompt and ground responses. If the user doesn’t have access to a document or email, Gemini will not retrieve that content. Content restrictions, such as Information Rights Management (disable download, copy, or print) and Client-side encryption, can also help restrict Gemini’s access to sensitive data.
You can leverage built-in AI classification or DLP capabilities in Workspace to identify sensitive data, automatically apply classification labels, and enforce Information Rights Management (IRM) controls based on the classification labels to restrict Gemini from accessing sensitive data for the users under the IRM restriction. For example, if a user isn't allowed to download, print, or copy files based on the IRM policy, Gemini will not retrieve those files or their content on the user's behalf. In addition, generated output inserted into emails in Gmail or documents in Drive are automatically evaluated against in-scope DLP policies set by domain administrators.
Model training and data usage
Does Google use my data (including prompts) to train generative AI models?
No. User prompts are considered customer data under the Cloud Data Processing Addendum. Workspace does not use customer data for training models without customer’s prior permission or instruction. This commitment is outlined in the ‘Training Restriction’ section of the Google Workspace Service Specific Terms.
At Google, we take our contractual commitments to customers very seriously. Customers can count on Google to handle customer data in line with the agreement, including our commitments (1) to process customer data according to customer instructions under the agreement, and (2) not to use customer data to train or fine-tune any of Google’s generative artificial intelligence models supporting the Google Workspace Generative AI Services without our customer’s prior permission or instruction.
But they aren’t just words. To ensure we continually meet these high standards, independent auditors validate our practices against international standards and best practices. We’ve attained some of the most comprehensive set of safety, privacy and security certifications and attestations for Gemini from internationally recognized regulatory and compliance bodies, such as SOC 1/2/3, ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 27001, 27701, 27017, 27018, and 42001 - the world's first international standard for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems (AIMS). Gemini can help you meet HIPAA compliance and was also submitted for FedRAMP High authorization.
Where does the data used to train Google’s foundational language models come from?
Google's foundational language models are trained primarily on publicly available, crawlable data from the internet. We give publishers control over how their sites are used with Google-Extended, which web publishers can use to manage whether their sites help improve Gemini Apps and Vertex AI generative APIs.
Features and functionality
How does Google grounding work in Gemini?
- Gemini for Workspace: When you enter a prompt in the Gemini for Workspace side panel, it will search for relevant content within your organization that you have access to such as specific emails, relevant presentations and docs and generate a response grounded in this information. In most cases following this, you will have the option to Retry with Google Search
. When you use this option, Gemini for Workspace leverages Google Search to improve the quality of its responses by accessing factual information and relevant sources. The data transmitted to Google Search is processed in strict compliance with Workspace's security measures and data privacy commitments.
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Gemini app: Gemini is grounded in Google’s understanding of authoritative information, and is trained to generate responses that are relevant to the context of your prompt and in line with what you’re looking for. It also relies on external sources such as Google Search, and/or one of its several extensions, and recently uploaded files (Gemini Advanced only) to generate its responses. Given a prompt, Gemini strives to retrieve the most pertinent information from these external sources (e.g., Google Search) and represent them accurately in its response.
To further mitigate against the risk of hallucinations you can use the Double check response feature, which uses Google Search to find content that helps you assess Gemini’s responses, and gives you links to sources to help you corroborate the information you get from Gemini. As with all Workspace core services, the data transmitted to Google Search is processed in strict compliance with Workspace's security measures and data privacy commitments.
. When you use this option, Gemini for Workspace leverages Google Search to improve the quality of its responses by accessing factual information and relevant sources. The data transmitted to Google Search is processed in strict compliance with Workspace's security measures and data privacy commitments.What models does Gemini use?
Gemini uses a collection of models from Google’s rich repository. With these models, Gemini can help you write, visualize, organize, and connect more meaningfully. Read more about it on the Workspace Blog.
What controls do users have over Gemini?
As mentioned above generative AI does not change our foundational privacy protections for giving users choice and control over their data.
To that end we launched updated smart feature settings that govern the degree of personalization a user wants, specifically how a user’s Workspace data is used to personalize other Google products. Turning on these features gives users a richer experience, allowing them to do everything from using Gemini in Workspace to allowing the Gemini app to access Workspace data via the Workspace extension. You can learn more about these user controls at Turn Google Workspace smart features on or off.
Admins also have access to these settings in the Admin Console and have the ability to set the default settings for your users. You can learn more about these admin controls at Turn Google Workspace smart features on or off.
As an admin, can I turn Gemini on and off for users?
Yes. Access to the Gemini app as a core service is turned on by default, except for primary and secondary Google Workspace for Education institutions. Google Workspace for Education K12 customers must enable the Gemini app for their users. Learn how to turn the Gemini app on or off for users.
Additionally, for supported Workspace editions, admins can enable or disable Gemini features and the side panel in the following Workspace services:
- Gmail
- Drive
- Docs
- Meet
- Chat
Learn how to manage access to Gemini features in Workspace services
Security and compliance
Are audit logs available for Gemini?
For qualifying editions, admins can see audit logs for activity triggered by Gemini accessing content from Drive (see details at Adding audit logs for Gemini for Google Workspace activity). Over time we will be adding Gemini audit logs across more Workspace applications. Check back for future updates on the Google Workspace Updates blog.
Where is my organization’s data processed and stored for Gemini?
Given the global nature of Google Workspace services, Gemini optimizes processing of customer data within facilities located closest to the user. However Gemini does not perform processing of a prompt or response in a customer defined region. We provide information about the locations of Google’s facilities as well as our subprocessors’ facilities.
Once a response from Gemini has been accepted by the user and pasted into a document or email, customers with qualifying editions can choose to use the Data Regions feature to select a region (such as Europe) to store their covered customer data at rest. This feature currently applies to the Google Workspace Core Services and data set out at Data covered by data regions (which is reflected in the “Data Regions” Section of the Google Workspace Service Specific Terms).
What is the scope of agreements that govern the use of generative AI?
Does using Gemini impact any existing compliance certifications (e.g. ISO, SOC, HIPAA etc.)?
Google has a long-standing commitment to global privacy compliance, and generative AI services are no different.
Gemini has attained SOC 1/2/3, ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 27001, 27701, 27017, 27018, and 42001 certifications. Gemini can also help your organization meet HIPAA compliance and was also submitted for FedRAMP High authorization. With these certifications, Gemini has one of the most comprehensive set of safety, privacy and security certifications internationally recognized by regulatory and compliance bodies.
The achievement of ISO/IEC 42001, the world's first international standard for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems (AIMS), certifies that Gemini has been developed, deployed, and maintained responsibly with appropriate ethical considerations, data governance, and transparency. No other generative AI offering for productivity and collaboration has met this level of recognition, showing that Gemini is the first in the industry ready to support businesses and public sector organizations while benefiting all users.
Does using Gemini comply with HIPAA?
Will Gemini meet FedRAMP?
Gemini has been submitted for FedRAMP High authorization.
How does Gemini comply with the European Union’s AI Act?
How does Gemini comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?
My organization is in the public sector and is required to conduct a DPIA of Gemini. How do I do that?
Gemini app
How do the Workspace extensions in the Gemini app work?
The Gemini Workspace extension allows you to connect the Gemini app with your Google Workspace apps and services to improve your productivity and streamline your workflows. When you connect Google Workspace, you can ask Gemini Apps to:
- Summarize, get quick answers, and find information from apps and services like Gmail, Docs, and Drive
- Add and retrieve your tasks from Google Tasks
- Create and retrieve notes and lists from Google Keep
- Create and manage your events in Google Calendar
Your use of Gemini with the Workspace Extension is governed by your organization’s Workspace agreement, including the Cloud Data Processing Addendum. Your chats and uploaded files in Gemini app won’t be reviewed by human reviewers or otherwise used to train generative AI models without your permission.
Important: Your use of any other extension with the Gemini app will be governed by different terms and are not subject to this article.
Can I control the Workspace Extensions in the Gemini app?
Yes. Admins have the ability to control whether people in your organization can access the Workspace extension in the Gemini app. You can find more details at Turn Workspace extensions in Gemini on or off (Beta).
Users have the ability to enable and disable the Workspace extension. You can find more details at Use extensions in Gemini Apps with a work or school Google Account. Also as mentioned above, users have control over their smart feature settings, including allowing the Gemini app to access Workspace data via the Workspace extension. You can learn more about these user controls at Turn on Google Workspace smart features in Gmail.