Google Gemini can access all Workspace data by default

Google's Alphabet Inc. ↗ 0.11% Gemini AI assistant has default access to business data across the entire Google Workspace ecosystem — including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Calendar, and Chat — unless administrators actively navigate to the admin console and disable it. The configuration, part of a system Google calls "Workspace Intelligence," is drawing renewed attention from enterprise IT teams concerned about compliance and data governance.

How Workspace Intelligence Works

Google introduced Workspace Intelligence in April 2026 as "an underlying AI system that provides Gemini with a real-time understanding of your work across Google Workspace." The system uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation to search indexed Workspace data in real time when a user submits a prompt, pulling relevant information from Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and Chat without requiring users to manually specify sources.zdnet+1

According to Google's official announcement, "Workspace Intelligence is ON by default" and "admins can disable access to certain data sources at the domain, OU, or group level." Google's own help documentation confirms that "the default setting for Gemini features in Workspace services is on" and notes that "even if Gemini is off for a specific app, users can still access its data when using Gemini in other apps."workspaceupdates.googleblog+1

What Google Does — and Doesn't — Do With the Data

Google states that Workspace data accessed by Gemini is not used to train AI models, is not shared outside the organization, and is not used for advertising purposes. Prompts and responses remain within the organization's domain, and no AI-specific database is created from documents or emails.workspaceupdates.googleblog+1

As ZDNet's David Gewirtz reported, this converts the concern "from a potential five-alarm fire with deep regulatory and privacy implications to more of a corporate policy issue." Still, organizations subject to GDPR, HIPAA, or financial regulations may need to restrict AI scanning of certain data sources to maintain compliance.zdnet

How Administrators Can Disable Access

To turn off Workspace Intelligence sources, administrators must log into admin.google.com, navigate to Generative AI, then Gemini in Workspace (or Gemini for Workspace), and click the Workspace Intelligence Sources panel to disable individual data sources for the entire organization. Disabling access for individual users requires placing them in separate organizational units or groups — there is no per-user toggle in the current interface.zdnet+1

Google recommends keeping all data sources enabled "to ensure optimal performance of AI features across Workspace," a stance that underscores the tension between AI capability and the principle of least-privilege access that guides most enterprise security programs.workspaceupdates.googleblog