Google has updated its Search services privacy settings to allow the company to store and use uploaded media, including images, audio recordings, and video, to train its AI models, a change that was communicated to users via a low-profile email in June and applied by default.
The update introduced two new settings, Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations, which on the surface appeared to offer users greater control over their data. In practice, the change expanded Google’s data collection scope to include media submitted through services such as Google Lens, Search Live, Google Translate, Maps, Shopping, Flights, and Hotels. Images captured via Lens, voice queries made through the Google app, and audio from Translate sessions are among the inputs now potentially retained for AI development.
Google confirmed the practice directly, stating that saved media is used to develop and improve its services and technologies, including AI models. The company’s help documentation specifies that history can be used to train generative AI models with the assistance of human reviewers.
Users can opt out by visiting the Search Services History settings page and unchecking the Save Media option. The update also separated Search data controls from the existing Web and App Activity settings, meaning previous opt-out configurations no longer automatically apply to Search services.
The move reflects a broader industry pattern, with Meta similarly training AI on user-uploaded images and media captured through its Ray-Ban smart glasses, as major technology companies shift from web-scraped data toward content generated directly by their own users.
