Google's Delete Button Is a Lie, and I Can Prove It
Google illegally retains customer data,and I am taking legal action against them
A developer claims Google's AI Studio delete button only moves a JSON pointer to Drive trash, not the actual prompt. After emptying the trash, restoring the JSON file instantly reloads the full chat with memory intact, proving the backend never deleted anything. He argues this is intentional deception and plans legal action.
The prompt is never deleted from the Google servers. Google wanted you to believe that it was deleted from the server, while they DO NOT delete it.
- mitxela
> If I go to court, I win. There is no other outcome.
Har har har. Spoken like somebody who's never been in a courtroom or read about a court case before. You still have to tick all the technicality boxes before you can win, starting with proving that the law actually says Google has to delete this. You also have to follow all the implicit rules of court procedure, which are the main reason you always need a lawyer.
- whythismatters
As some commenter in another thread pointed out OP is on a crusade, posting variations on this theme (and getting flagged) all the time: https://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=Bitu79
- kylecazar
AI Studio falls under the Gemini API additional terms. Those terms give Google the right to keep your data on their servers for "processing" for some window (30 days, longer if free user I believe).
Of course they shouldn't use words that imply permanent deletion if it's only a front-end/workspace removal until that window expires. But if retention is expressly allowed in their terms you won't be winning anything.
You found an instance of misleading UX, which is fairly common in our industry.