Is NotebookLM private? Does Google train on my sources?
Google's stated policy: NotebookLM does not use your uploaded content to train its general AI models. Your sources are not visible to other users and are not used for advertising. Workspace tier offers stronger data controls for organizational use.
In more detail
Per Google's stated NotebookLM privacy policy: user content is not used to train Gemini or other general models; sources are not shared cross-account; no advertising profile is built from source content. Google does process your sources to power your queries (server-side) and stores them indefinitely until you delete. For sensitive corporate work, use a Google Workspace account where admins can configure data residency and audit. For most academic and professional use cases, the privacy posture is acceptable. For trade secrets, HIPAA-regulated patient data without a BAA, or classified material, consider local-first alternatives.
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Notebook Toolkit saves ChatGPT, Claude, YouTube, Reddit, and any web page to NotebookLM in one click. Free to install.
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