this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2025
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Google’s Gemini team is apparently sending out emails about an upcoming change to how Gemini interacts with apps on Android devices. The email informs users that, come July 7, 2025, Gemini will be able to “help you use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities on your phone, whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off.” Naturally, this has raised some privacy concerns among those who’ve received the email and those using the AI assistant on their Android devices.

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[–] ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml 37 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Saying "You're not alone" is supposed to be a wholesome thing to show someone that you care. Instead, it's AI companies squeezing as much data out of customers and injecting as much AI into everything they can.

Society really took a wrong turn didn't it?

[–] Binturong@lemmy.ca 24 points 1 day ago (3 children)

No, Google is using their influence and our reliance to steer society. Please don't forget how passive language enables the worst abusers.

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[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 36 points 1 day ago (10 children)

In the absence of being able to switch to Graphene (Don't own a pixel), I've done everything I can to replace Google Apps with FOSS alternatives, and disabled Google Assistant on my device entirely.

I know none of that will stop a determined Google eventually fucking with me, but at least I'm trying.

I'm so damned tired of the modern corporate world.

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[–] Fedditor385@lemmy.world 37 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Gemini depends on the Google app, disable it, and it dies.

Have you noticed how the Google app, the one that supposedly just does search and list news articles, has like 400 MB? Over time it accumulated 2GB cache... how?

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[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 38 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Dammit don't make me switch to apple phones, I hate apple. I hate Google too but FFS all you need to do is stay out of my way and the one thing you continuously do is stand in my way...

GTFO of my way! Piss off with that AI crap that nobody asked for

[–] Griffus@lemmy.zip 23 points 1 day ago (8 children)

An ungoogled android variant has to be a lot lesser of an evil, no?

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[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 43 points 1 day ago

"We spent a lot of money on this, so you're going to have it."

[–] higgsboson@dubvee.org 52 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (11 children)

I agree it would be concerning if I allowed Gemini access to my phone. Fuck that. This shit is exactly why I am on GrapheneOS.

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[–] Krudler@lemmy.world 32 points 1 day ago (8 children)

Remember when Google+ was the future?

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[–] TheFriar@lemm.ee 32 points 2 days ago

“Google is making it easier for Google to pry into your personal data.”

“Water is making it easier for water to make you wet.”

[–] r00ty@kbin.life 66 points 2 days ago (8 children)

Pretty sure I disabled Gemini as one of the first things I did when I got my phone. But, yes when I read that, to me it did seem like a serious overreach for something that was going to be "on by default" for most users.

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[–] TingoTenga@lemmy.world 41 points 2 days ago (4 children)
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[–] besselj@lemmy.ca 63 points 2 days ago (13 children)
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