Google’s General Counsel discusses surge in AI-driven phishing

Google’s General Counsel, Halimah Delaine Prado, has noted a concerning increase in AI-driven phishing schemes being perpetrated by “outsider companies” based in China. She explains that these scammers utilize artificial intelligence to create deceptively realistic fake websites that mimic well-known brands, such as T-Mobile, which deceives many Americans, resulting in substantial financial losses.

Prado also outlines Google’s proactive measures to confront these evolving threats.

Turning to a more technical aspect, Google is implementing changes to its search service, particularly a new feature called Search Service History. This feature gives users control over whether their search activity gets stored when logged into their Google accounts. Initially, this might sound routine. After all, many people are aware that Google monitors search history. But this update goes a bit further than just traditional searches.

Google states that the history could also encompass images you’ve uploaded, files you’ve queried, voice searches, live recordings you’ve sought out, and interactions with various search features.

To consider, the “Media Storage” setting plays a pivotal role here. By enabling it, users allow Google to save media from their search interactions, which might subsequently be used to enhance AI models and technology. So, those seemingly random images you search for using Google Lens—they’re potentially feeding into Google’s AI improvements.

What to expect from Google’s new search service history

When discussing the potential content of your search service history, Google highlights aspects such as your previous searches, viewed results, AI mode interactions, and voice command recordings. You might recall using Google Lens to identify a plant or uploading a photo for product searching. At first glance, this might all seem benign, but the lingering question remains: where does all that data end up once stored?

According to Google, the stored media can assist in revisiting past searches or continuing ongoing conversations within the search interface. While that can be useful, it does come with a caveat; the saved media also contributes to developing and refining AI technologies. It’s a kind of tradeoff—enhanced personalized features in exchange for sharing more of your personal data.

It’s important to realize this isn’t just an innocuous update. The feature resides under Account Management and might sail past you if you’re not vigilant. The rollout is gradual, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see it immediately. Furthermore, the new settings are linked to prior choices regarding web and app activity. If older settings are turned off, these new ones will be, too. But it’s still up to the user to check and manage their preferences.

Crucially, disabling media retention doesn’t eliminate old media that’s already stored. Google clarifies that previously saved data may continue to support its technology unless it is explicitly deleted. If data has been earmarked for AI training, it will remain detached from your account and can persist for as long as four years.

This is the sort of detail that feels hard to overlook, doesn’t it? Once media enters the AI training pipeline, it often can’t just be erased, even if the original content is removed.

How to manage settings related to Google’s search AI

If you’re interested in adjusting your settings, it’s easier to do from a computer. Here’s how:

• Open your browser and go to myactivity.google.com.
• Ensure you’re logged into the correct account.
• Find the “Search Service History” section. If it’s not visible, that may mean it’s still being rolled out.
• If the search service history feature is active, you will see a summary of it.
• To prevent Google from retaining media from your search activities, uncheck the box for media saving.
• Should you want more details, you can turn off the history setting as well.
• To delete older entries, revisit your search history and manage them accordingly.
• If you haven’t yet spotted your search history, check your Web & App Activity until the feature is fully available.
• Google also has personalized settings that can affect how results and AI interactions are tailored to your activity.

What does turning off “Media Preservation” mean?

If you disable the “Media Preservation” option, it halts the storage of media from future interactions, but it won’t affect every type of search history. Textual interactions or some AI responses could still be recorded.

Moreover, although Google may keep using new media for responses or security, this won’t contribute to training their generative AI unless feedback is given. So, while you’re still sharing data, in theory, this offers a slightly more controlled environment than before.

Nonetheless, do keep in mind that media storage doesn’t govern everything. Individual apps like Gemini, YouTube, or Google Voice have their own settings.

Key takeaways

The recent changes to Google’s search service history warrant attention, especially for users of apps like Lens or Voice Search. First, it’s wise to check the “Save Media” option. If you prefer not to store any media for future AI learning, ensure that box is unchecked. After that, review your activity to manage what’s already saved. Often, turning off settings only protects future data, so it’s a good idea to manually delete older records. Finally, make sure you repeat these checks for any Google accounts you might have—whether they are current, old, or work-related.