Google has updated a 2023 Help Center answer and blog post to clarify that content from Gmail, Docs, and Drive accessed through Gemini's Connected Apps can be routed to human reviewers. The company now explicitly warns users not to connect apps containing confidential information they would not want a reviewer to see. Testing cited in the report shows the retrieval happens probabilistically and can occur in the background without users explicitly tagging @Drive or @Gmail.
github.com
· 2026-11-09
Anthropic's Claude Personal Finance hub excludes user chats from model training by default and erases data once a bank account is unlinked. OpenAI's ChatGPT Finances instead follows users' existing model-training preferences, requiring them to manually opt out via Data Controls, and deletes synced account data within 30 days of disconnection. Anthropic also says its tool carries no ads or financial products, while OpenAI is testing ads on cheaper tiers and plans to expand ChatGPT Finances through a partnership with Intuit.
engadget.com
· 2026-11-07
Since this summer, more than ten U.S. municipalities and police departments—including Asheville, Richmond, Lansing, Monroe, and League City—have voted to end, restrict, or phase out contracts with Flock Safety's license plate readers and other surveillance tools. The moves follow local pushback over privacy, data-sharing practices, and procurement concerns, with Flock cameras currently deployed in over 100,000 locations nationwide.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-11-06
A report claims Postman's client silently installed an AI-related plugin without explicit user consent, and that the plugin attempted to transmit all API request and response data elsewhere. The claim surfaced via a developer changelog-style post rather than an official Postman announcement, and no response from Postman is cited.
github.com
· 2026-11-03
A developer reported that OpenAI's Codex tool had its 'Improve the model for everyone' data-sharing setting turned back on without their knowledge, despite having previously disabled it. Coworkers confirmed the same issue, and the poster noted the setting can be checked and disabled via OpenAI's data-controls and privacy pages. Other users on Hacker News had flagged similar behavior before.
news.ycombinator.com
· 2026-11-03
Ford has publicly committed not to sell customers' driving data, a pledge issued as General Motors agreed to pay $220 million to settle claims it shared driver data without adequate consent. The announcements come amid broader scrutiny of automakers' data collection and sharing practices.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-11-02
Google has enabled Gemini AI features by default across Gmail, including email summaries, to-do list creation, reply drafting and AI search. These features require Gemini to read email content to function, though Google maintains the data is used only for those specific tasks rather than broader model training. Users can disable the integration through account settings if they prefer Gemini not to access their inbox.
engadget.com
· 2026-11-02
Anthropic is launching Claude Duet, a feature that proactively generates daily briefings and action items by drawing on connected apps and a user's Claude memory. Users can delegate tasks like scheduling meetings, building dashboards or forecasts, and flagging relevant research, with Duet reaching out when tasks are complete or need approval.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-31
General Motors has agreed to pay $220 million to 35 states and Washington, D.C. to resolve claims it sold driver behavior and location data collected through its Smart Driver program, offered via dealerships from 2016 to 2024, without proper consent. State attorneys general say the data was in some cases used by insurers to raise premiums, with one driver reportedly facing a 22% rate increase. GM ended the program in 2024 and must now get explicit consumer consent before collecting or sharing such data.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-30
General Motors has agreed to a $220 million settlement tied to allegations that it sold private driver data collected from vehicles without adequate consent. The settlement resolves claims that the automaker shared or monetized data gathered through connected-car features.
yro.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-30
General Motors has agreed to pay $220 million to settle a lawsuit brought by attorneys general from 35 states and Washington, D.C. over its sale of Smart Driver driving-behavior data to data brokers, who resold it to insurers. Many drivers said their insurance premiums rose and that they never knowingly consented to sharing the data. This follows a separate FTC settlement finalized in January that barred GM and OnStar from sharing geolocation or driver-behavior data for five years, after which GM discontinued the Smart Driver feature entirely.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-30
General Motors has settled a lawsuit from 35 state attorneys general and Washington, D.C. over its OnStar Smart Driver program, agreeing to pay $220 million. Investigators found GM tracked driving behavior like speeding and hard braking from millions of customers between 2016 and 2024 and sold that data to brokers for insurance purposes, often without clear consent, and sometimes continued selling data on drivers it had mistakenly told were unenrolled. As part of the settlement, GM must limit data collection, undergo privacy audits, and add dealership training.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-30
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