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Gemini CLI

(blog.google)
1348 points sync | 12 comments | 25 Jun 25 13:10 UTC | HN request time: 1.844s | source | bottom
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ipsum2 ◴[25 Jun 25 16:21 UTC] No.44379036[source]▶
If you use this, all of your code data will be sent to Google. From their terms:

https://developers.google.com/gemini-code-assist/resources/p...

When you use Gemini Code Assist for individuals, Google collects your prompts, related code, generated output, code edits, related feature usage information, and your feedback to provide, improve, and develop Google products and services and machine learning technologies.

To help with quality and improve our products (such as generative machine-learning models), human reviewers may read, annotate, and process the data collected above. We take steps to protect your privacy as part of this process. This includes disconnecting the data from your Google Account before reviewers see or annotate it, and storing those disconnected copies for up to 18 months. Please don't submit confidential information or any data you wouldn't want a reviewer to see or Google to use to improve our products, services, and machine-learning technologies.

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mattzito ◴[25 Jun 25 16:44 UTC] No.44379301[source]▶
It's a lot more nuanced than that. If you use the free edition of Code Assist, your data can be used UNLESS you opt out, which is at the bottom of the support article you link to:

"If you don't want this data used to improve Google's machine learning models, you can opt out by following the steps in Set up Gemini Code Assist for individuals."

and then the link: https://developers.google.com/gemini-code-assist/docs/set-up...

If you pay for code assist, no data is used to improve. If you use a Gemini API key on a pay as you go account instead, it doesn't get used to improve. It's just if you're using a non-paid, consumer account and you didn't opt out.

That seems different than what you described.

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1. ipsum2 ◴[25 Jun 25 17:01 UTC] No.44379517[source]▶
Sorry, that's not correct. Did you check out the link? It doesn't describe the CLI, only the IDE.

"You can find the Gemini Code Assist for individuals privacy notice and settings in two ways:

- VS Code - IntelliJ "

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2. tiahura ◴[25 Jun 25 17:28 UTC] No.44379799[source]▶
As a lawyer, I'm confused.

I guess the key question is whether the Gemini CLI, when used with a personal Google account, is governed by the broader Gemini Apps privacy settings here? https://myactivity.google.com/product/gemini?pli=1

If so, it appears it can be turned off. However, my CLI activity isn't showing up there?

Can someone from Google clarify?

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3. mattzito ◴[25 Jun 25 18:48 UTC] No.44380640[source]▶
That's because it's a bit of a nesting doll situation. As you can see here:

https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/tree/main

If you scroll to the bottom, it says that the terms of service are governed based on the mechanism by which you access Gemini. If you access via code assist (which the OP posted), you abide by those privacy terms of code assist, one of the ways of which you access is VScode. If you access via the Gemini API, then those terms apply.

So the gemini CLI (as I understand it) doesn't have their own privacy terms, because it's an open source shell on top of another Gemini system, which could have one of a few different privacy policies based on how you choose to use it and your account settings.

(Note: I work for google, but not on this, this is just my plain reading of the documentation)

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4. mattzito ◴[25 Jun 25 18:54 UTC] No.44380702[source]▶
I am very much not a lawyer, and while I work for Google, I do not work on this, and this is just my plain language reading of the docs.

When you look at the github repo for the gemini CLI:

https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/tree/main

At the bottom it specifies that the terms of service are dependent on the underlying mechanism that the user chooses to use to fulfill the requests. You can use code assist, gemini API, or Vertex AI. My layperson's perspective is that it's positioned as a wrapper around another service, whose terms you already have accepted/enabled. I would imagine that is separate from the Gemini app, the settings for which you linked to.

Looking at my own settings, my searches on the gemini app appear, but none of my gemini API queries appear.

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5. tiahura ◴[25 Jun 25 19:03 UTC] No.44380801{3}[source]▶
Thanks for trying to clarify.

However, as others pointed out, that link take you to here: https://developers.google.com/gemini-code-assist/resources/p... Which, at the bottom says: "If you don't want this data used to improve Google's machine learning models, you can opt out by following the steps in Set up Gemini Code Assist for individuals." and links to https://developers.google.com/gemini-code-assist/docs/set-up.... That page says "You'll also see a link to the Gemini Code Assist for individuals privacy notice and privacy settings. This link opens a page where you can choose to opt out of allowing Google to use your data to develop and improve Google's machine learning models. These privacy settings are stored at the IDE level."

The issue is that there is no IDE, this is the CLI and no such menu options exist.

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6. ipsum2 ◴[25 Jun 25 19:29 UTC] No.44381027[source]▶
My understanding is that they have not implemented an opt-out feature for Gemini CLI, like they've done for VSCode and Jetbrains.
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7. fhinkel ◴[25 Jun 25 22:39 UTC] No.44382427[source]▶
Sorry our docs were confusing! We tried to clear things up: https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/blob/main/docs/t...
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8. fhinkel ◴[25 Jun 25 22:40 UTC] No.44382430{3}[source]▶
We have! Sorry our docs were confusing! We tried to clear things up https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/blob/main/docs/t...
9. fhinkel ◴[25 Jun 25 22:40 UTC] No.44382436{4}[source]▶
It applies to Gemini CLI too. We've tried to clear up our docs, apologies for the confusion. https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/blob/main/docs/t...
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10. tiahura ◴[25 Jun 25 23:06 UTC] No.44382627{5}[source]▶
Thanks, however I'm not sure I've got it.

Are you saying the Gemini Apps Activity switch controls? Or, that if I download VS Code or Intelli J and make the change, it applies to the CLI? https://developers.google.com/gemini-code-assist/docs/set-up... says "These privacy settings are stored at the IDE level."

11. olejorgenb ◴[26 Jun 25 10:43 UTC] No.44386066[source]▶
"1. Is my code, including prompts and answers, used to train Google's models?

This depends entirely on the type of auth method you use.

    Auth method 1: Yes. When you use your personal Google account, the Gemini Code Assist Privacy Notice for Individuals applies. Under this notice, your prompts, answers, and related code are collected and may be used to improve Google's products, which includes model training."
The opt out appear to be about other type of stats, no?
12. dinvlad ◴[26 Jun 25 16:11 UTC] No.44388752[source]▶
Thanks a lot for clarifying in plain language! Makes sense re basically anything paid is NOT used for training, free - does.

Off-topic, but I wish this kind of plain language doc existed for Google One vs Google Workspace as well.