A Shark Tank star has warned Gmail users about a default setting that allows Google to analyse “every single” email.
Lori Greiner, famous for her investments in products like Scrub Daddy and Squatty Potty, posted a video on her Instagram, urging users to block Google’s AI in their accounts.
‘Google doesn’t want you to know this, but they’ve been allowing AI to scan every single one of your emails,’ she said, adding that it includes ‘financial documents, tax information and personal conversations.’
While Greiner claimed the AI is scanning emails without users’ knowledge, she provided steps to disable the technology ‘in like 30 seconds.’
Users can access “See all settings” by clicking the gear symbol in the upper right corner of their Gmail accounts.
After selecting the option, users scroll down to “Smart features and personalisation.” After that, users must uncheck and disable “Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet.”
Next, confirm that Google Workplace and other Google Products’ smart features are turned off under Smart features in other Google Products.
“After completing that, all you need to do is click “Save Changes,” according to Greiner. “Google can no longer access your personal information, and your emails are now safe from AI scanning.”
Lori Greiner, who is well-known for investing in goods like Squatty Potty and Scrub Daddy, urged people to ban Google’s AI on their accounts in a video that she shared on Instagram.
As of early this year, Greiner’s estimated net worth was between $150 million and $250 million. “If you have a Gmail account, do not ignore this warning,” she urged in the video. Known as the “Queen of QVC” and a regular “Shark” on Shark Tank since 2012, she has amassed her wealth through product creation, patent licensing, and profitable investments.
Google’s AI Gemini is built to automatically scan Gmail messages, enabling it to offer functions like searching, smart replies, and email summarisation.
Google claims that the system analyses content to enhance user experience, but it does not use this data to train Gemini without authorisation.
When contacted for comment, a Google representative pointed the Daily Mail to a blog post on the subject, stating that Gmail users shouldn’t be concerned about their personal information being used to train its AI systems.
The business emphasised that personal messages are kept apart from its larger technological growth by stating that its AI models, including Gemini, are not trained on customers’ private emails.
Google claims that when users opt to use Gemini within Gmail, the program only accesses emails for certain, one-time purposes, such summarising lengthy communications.
According to the company, this access is just temporary and can only be used to finish the desired task.
As of early 2026, Greiner’s estimated net worth was between $150 million and $250 million. She has been a regular on Shark Tank since 2012 and is referred to as the “Queen of QVC.”
Additionally, according to Google, Gemini does not keep user data after a task is finished. Rather, the system is built to process data in the inbox and then instantly cease accessing it as the request is complete.
The internet behemoth insists that even when AI-powered capabilities are activated, customers have control over their data, with email content remaining private.
Gmail’s vice-president of product, Blake Barnes, stated that the firm has designed the system to function safely within users’ accounts, guaranteeing that personal information is neither retained or used beyond the immediate task.
