Google Bard accidentally exposes chat history shared by users to Google searches

Google Bard had previously facilitated the sharing of conversation logs with other users, an attribute particularly beneficial for collaborative endeavors or the creation of template-oriented content. This is because recipients of shared links can seamlessly build upon pre-existing dialogues.

From a privacy perspective, aside from those in possession of these shared links, no alternative avenues should grant access to these conversation logs. However, the scenario drastically alters if these logs are indexed by search engines, allowing anyone to retrieve shared links simply by querying specific keywords.

Regrettably, Google Bard has inadvertently exposed shared chat logs within Google’s search results. It remains uncertain whether this oversight stems from Google Bard’s configuration issues, but a substantial number of dialogues have been indexed by Google and can be unearthed through keyword searches on the platform.

Photo by Mojahid Mottakin on Unsplash

Addressing this conundrum, Google’s search team articulated that while Bard does permit users to disseminate links, it is contingent upon their explicit choice to do so. Google emphasized it never intended for its search engine to index these shared links. Currently, remedial measures are underway by Google’s search team to purge these indexed shared links and forestall future indexing of Bard’s shared content.

However, it’s paramount to recognize that rectification by merely Google’s search team might be insufficient. Potentially, the onus may also fall on the Google Bard team. Even though Bard’s robots.txt has proscribed the indexing by all search engines, vulnerabilities to web crawlers persist.

Conclusively, for end-users, the counsel is to abstain from sharing personal dialogues with Bard unless imperative. If sharing is deemed necessary, it is paramount to ensure the absence of confidential information within the chat content.