April 9, 2025 –Recent investigations by tech analyst Jane Manchun Wong, as highlighted in a TechCrunch report, have uncovered potential plans by Waymo to leverage data from its autonomous taxis—including in-cab footage tied to passenger identities—for training generative AI models. The discovery stemmed from an analysis of Waymo’s unreleased privacy policy drafts, which also hinted at the possibility of using this data for targeted advertising.
Under California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), users would retain the option to opt out of such data sharing and AI training practices. However, Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina clarified in a statement that “this feature remains in development and does not alter Waymo’s existing privacy policies.” She emphasized that passengers would retain control over data collection, particularly for machine learning training purposes.
A subsequent update from The Verge on October 8 revealed a shift in Waymo’s stance. Ilina now asserts that the company “has no plans” to use in-cab camera recordings from autonomous taxis to train AI models for targeted advertising. She attributed earlier findings to “placeholder text” on an unreleased app page, which she claimed “did not accurately represent the feature’s intended use.”
Ilina reiterated that the functionality is still under development and will not modify Waymo’s privacy policies. Instead, it will offer passengers the ability to opt out of data collection, especially for machine learning training.
The controversy comes amid Waymo’s rapid growth, fueled by a 5billioninvestmentfromparentcompanyAlphabetlastyearandanadditional5.6 billion raised from external investors, elevating its valuation to over $45 billion.
