New Google update: What UAE Gmail, Android and Gemini users must know

Dubai: Millions of UAE residents who use Google services every day—from Gmail and Google Photos to Android, Google Drive, Maps and Gemini—will be covered by updated Google Terms of Service from July 30 as the technology giant revises its rules to reflect the growing role of artificial intelligence across its products.

The revised terms introduce new AI-related safeguards, clarify how Google can use customer content to operate and improve its services, and explain "what you can expect from us as you use Google services, and what we expect from you."

While most users are unlikely to notice immediate changes in how Google's services function, the update provides greater detail on how AI technologies are integrated into Google's products, the circumstances under which user content may be analysed, and the situations that could lead to account suspension.

Among the biggest changes are new rules governing how Google's AI-powered services can be used.

The updated terms state that users "must not abuse, harm, interfere with, or disrupt our services or systems," including through activities such as "jailbreaking, adversarial prompting, or prompt injection," except where those activities form part of Google's authorised safety or bug-testing programmes.

Google also prohibits users from using AI-generated content produced by its services to develop machine learning models or related artificial intelligence technologies.

The company further bars activities including phishing, creating fake accounts or fake reviews, introducing malware, hacking, misleading others into believing AI-generated content was created by a person, or presenting services as originating from Google when they do not.

The additions reflect the company's effort to address new forms of misuse as generative AI becomes more widely adopted across consumer and business services.

One of the questions many users ask whenever technology companies update their terms is whether ownership of uploaded content changes. Google says it does not.

"Your content remains yours, which means that you retain any intellectual property rights that you have in your content," the updated Terms of Service state.

Instead, users grant Google a worldwide, non-exclusive and royalty-free licence that allows the company to host, reproduce, distribute, communicate, modify and display content where necessary to provide and improve its services.

Google says the licence allows services to function as intended, such as storing files in Google Drive, making content available across multiple devices, sharing content with people users choose and reformatting or translating content where required.

The revised terms provide more detail on how Google analyses content stored within its services.

The company says the licence exists for the limited purpose of "operating and improving the services," including creating new features and functionalities.

According to the document, automated systems analyse content "for spam, malware, and illegal content," "to recognize patterns in data," and "to customize our services for you, such as providing recommendations and personalized search results, content, and ads." Google says this analysis occurs as content is sent, received and stored.

The company also says it may use content users have chosen to make public to promote its services. Examples include quoting a public review written by a user or displaying screenshots of publicly available apps listed on Google Play.

Google says content removed from its services will stop being made publicly available within a reasonable period. The company outlines two exceptions.

If content has already been shared with other users, copies may remain available within those users' Google Accounts. Likewise, if content has been made available through third-party services, search engines—including Google Search—may continue displaying it until it is removed from the original source.

The updated terms also explain the situations in which Google may suspend or terminate access to its services.

According to the document, action may be taken where users repeatedly or materially breach the terms or related policies, where Google must comply with legal requirements, or where the company reasonably believes a user's conduct could cause harm or legal liability.

Examples include hacking, phishing, spamming, misleading users and scraping content that does not belong to the user. Users who believe their accounts have been disabled incorrectly can appeal Google's decision.

Google says it will generally provide users with reasonable advance notice before making material changes that negatively affect the use of its services or before discontinuing a service.

Where practical, users will also be given an opportunity to export their data through Google Takeout before significant service changes take effect, except in urgent situations involving security, abuse prevention or legal obligations.

The company also notes that future revisions to its Terms of Service may be introduced "to reflect changes in our services or how we do business," as well as for "legal, regulatory, or security reasons" or "to prevent abuse or harm." Users who do not agree with future updates can stop using Google's services and close their Google Account.