It depends: Gemini can be suitable for client work through a brokerage-approved Google Workspace account, with restricted access and a clear retention policy. Keep identifiable client information out of personal Gemini accounts, even when you turn activity off.
The account matters more than the Gemini button in Gmail. A paid personal AI subscription does not establish that your brokerage has Google’s Workspace data protections.
Personal Gemini vs Gemini in Workspace
Personal Gemini and Gemini covered by a qualifying Google Workspace edition have different data terms. For client work, use the managed work account covered by your brokerage’s agreement.
Google’s Workspace generative AI privacy commitments cover qualifying use in Workspace apps, the Gemini app and Gemini Notebook. Google says this content is not human reviewed or used for generative AI model training outside your domain without permission.
Account Differences That Affect Client Work
| Check | Personal Google account | Qualifying managed Workspace account |
|---|---|---|
| Who controls activity | You manage Keep Activity | The administrator controls Gemini app history |
| Model improvement | Saved activity can be used to improve Google’s AI | Workspace commitments restrict training and human review without permission |
| Client-work decision | Use public or properly deidentified material | Use only for tasks your brokerage approves |
| Staff access | Personal account settings | Organisation settings and existing file permissions |
Gemini is included in paid Workspace subscriptions, with features differing by edition. Google’s Workspace plan comparison lists Gemini in Gmail for Business Starter. Business Standard and Business Plus include broader Workspace AI features, with Enterprise options for larger organisations. Billing is per user, with flexible and commitment options.
A business email address alone does not settle the privacy terms. Have the administrator confirm the account’s edition and whether each AI service is covered before staff use client information.
Gemini Apps Activity and Human Review
Gemini Apps Activity saves personal-account chats and content you share when Keep Activity is on. Google’s Gemini Apps Privacy Hub says a subset of chats goes to human reviewers to improve its services.
The default auto-delete period is 18 months. You can choose three months, 36 months or no auto-deletion. Reviewed chats are disconnected from your account and can remain for up to three years, even after you delete your activity.
Turning Keep Activity off stops future chats being used for AI model improvement if you do not submit feedback. Google still retains those chats for 72 hours to provide and protect the service. Human review can still support safety and security. Activity off therefore does not mean zero storage or zero human access.
For a personal account, follow Google’s activity controls:
- Open Gemini on your computer and select Settings & help, then Activity.
- Select On near the top, then Turn off or Turn off and delete activity.
- If you also want to remove old activity, select Delete and the relevant period.
- Return to Activity and confirm Keep Activity is off.
Deleting the mobile app does not perform these account-level steps. A work account’s history settings are controlled by its Workspace administrator.
Gemini in Gmail and Drive With Client Files
Gemini can use relevant Gmail messages, Docs and Drive files that the signed-in user has permission to access. A broker’s broad file access can therefore become broad AI access.
Start with the brokerage’s file permissions. Remove unnecessary access to client folders and shared drives. Keep identity documents and full financial records outside the set of material approved for AI processing. A folder name such as “Private” does not restrict access by itself.
Turning off a Gemini panel in one app is not a folder restriction. Google’s Workspace feature controls explain that Gemini in Gmail can still use a Drive file when Gemini is off in Drive. The documented per-service administrator controls require supported editions, including Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus.
The separate Gemini app has its own Workspace connection controls. An administrator can disable its Workspace apps connection for selected organisational units or groups. Turning off the Gemini app itself does not turn off every AI feature inside Workspace services.
For example, a brokerage might approve email summaries for its settlements team while excluding identity documents from that team’s Drive access. Check this with a fictional client file before using real records. The test account must fail to retrieve a document it cannot access.
Personal-account connections need separate care. Google’s Connected Apps explanation distinguishes an entire inbox from the excerpts and summaries Gemini uses. With Keep Activity on, those summaries and excerpts can be used for model improvement. Disconnecting an app does not delete earlier Gemini activity.
NotebookLM and Uploaded Documents
NotebookLM, now called Gemini Notebook in Google’s documentation, processes the sources you add to a notebook. Uploading a client PDF gives that service the document, even if you have restricted Gemini’s access to Drive.
Google’s Gemini Notebook privacy terms distinguish qualifying work accounts from personal use. Workspace users’ uploads, queries and responses are not used to train AI models or reviewed by humans, including when they submit feedback.
For personal use, submitting feedback can include your sources and uploads. Trained teams can review that material, and reviewed feedback can remain for up to three years. Content shared with other Google services follows those services’ notices.
Use public lender guides or properly deidentified working material in a personal notebook. Put client documents into a work notebook only when your brokerage approves that account, purpose and sharing settings. Avoid uploading a whole client file when a short extract answers the question.
Is Gemini Safe for Client Data?
Gemini is acceptable for approved client tasks when your brokerage confirms the Workspace protections and limits the information it processes. A personal account with Keep Activity off is still unsuitable for identifiable client files under that approach.
Before enabling client work, record these decisions:
- Name the managed account and qualifying edition, with the AI services the brokerage permits.
- Define permitted inputs, such as a limited email extract, and excluded records, such as identity scans.
- Restrict staff file access and the Gemini app’s Workspace connections to the approved task.
- Set retention separately for the Gemini app and Workspace side panels. Document who can delete conversations and how saved outputs enter the client record.
- Review notebook sharing and keep client content out of personal-account feedback.
Google’s Gemini app administration guide explains its service and history controls. Workspace side-panel history has separate retention controls, so one history setting does not cover every Gemini conversation.
Save the approval in your brokerage’s AI risk assessment. Test the approved workflow with fictional information, including an inaccessible folder, then check the generated summary against its source before using it in client work.
