Google’s new Gmail upgrade lets its AI, Gemini, access all your past emails and Google Drive files to create personalized, smart replies that sound just like you. While this promises a smoother experience, it also raises serious privacy and security concerns since this deep access could expose sensitive data.
Google is also developing a feature called Shielded Email for Android users, similar to Apple’s HideMyEmail, which lets you generate unique, masked email addresses when signing up for new services. This helps prevent spam, reduces the risk from data breaches, and protects your real email address from attackers.
With rising data breaches exposing millions of logins and passwords, masking your email address is more important than ever. It makes it harder for hackers to track you across sites or use social engineering attacks.
A recent survey shows 73% of Gmail users would switch to privacy-focused email services like Proton Mail, with many willing to pay for better security. This highlights growing distrust in Gmail’s handling of personal data, especially as Gmail’s AI gains access to your entire inbox and files.
What should you do?
Start using Shielded Email when it’s available, consider opening a new email account, and gradually move away from your old address. Protect your email like your digital identity depends on it — because it does.
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