Sen. Warren wants to know what Google Gemini’s built-in checkout means for user privacy

Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai expressing serious concerns regarding the planned integration of a checkout feature into the Gemini AI chatbot, which will utilize the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) developed with partners like Shopify and Walmart. Warren fears this integration could enable Google and retailers to exploit sensitive user data or manipulate consumers into overspending. She specifically questioned how much user information Google will share with retailers via this pipeline, given that Google already holds vast amounts of search and chat data. Warren also cited Google's admission that it will use sensitive data to help retailers upsell consumers to more premium products. She demanded answers regarding how user data will affect pricing and whether users will be notified when Gemini suggests a product based on upselling objectives or advertising incentives. Google has until February 17th to respond to her inquiries.

(Source：The Verge)