NotebookLM privacy, data handling, and security

Understand how NotebookLM handles your uploaded sources, who can see your notebooks, how to delete your data, and how Google encrypts your content.

Understanding how your data is handled is important before you start uploading documents. This page covers what NotebookLM does with your sources, who can see them, and how to remove your data if you need to.

For the authoritative and up-to-date privacy policy, visit policies.google.com. The information on this page reflects general practices and is subject to change.

Use caution when uploading highly sensitive documents such as medical records, legal filings, or financial statements. Review your organization’s data policies and Google’s Terms of Service before uploading confidential material.

Does Google use my uploaded sources to train AI models?

Per Google’s policies, your sources are used to provide the NotebookLM service to you. Review Google’s current privacy policy at policies.google.com for the latest terms, as these may change over time. If this matters for your use case, check the policy before uploading sensitive material.

Who can see my notebooks and sources?

Only you can see your notebooks and their contents unless you explicitly share them with others. Google may access your content for service operation and policy enforcement as described in their Terms of Service. Other NotebookLM users cannot view your notebooks or sources.

Can I delete my data?

Yes. You have several options for removing your data:

• Delete a source: Open the notebook, select the source in the source panel, and choose Remove.
• Delete a notebook: Open the notebook menu (three dots) and choose Delete notebook. This removes all sources and conversation history inside it.
• Delete your Google Account: Deleting your Google Account removes all associated data, including your NotebookLM notebooks and sources.

Refer to Google’s Privacy Policy for details on how long data may be retained after deletion.

Is my data encrypted?

Yes. Google encrypts data in transit and at rest using industry-standard encryption, consistent with their security practices across all Google services. For technical details, see Google’s security documentation at safety.google.

Can I upload confidential business documents?

This depends on your organization’s policies and your agreement with Google. Review your organization’s data governance rules and Google’s Terms of Service before uploading sensitive or confidential material. If your organization has a Google Workspace agreement, check whether that agreement covers NotebookLM and whether it includes enterprise data protections such as data processing addendums.

Does the AI share my sources with other users?

No. Each notebook is private to your account unless you share it. Other NotebookLM users cannot access your sources, notebooks, or conversation history. Sharing a notebook grants access only to the person you share it with.

How long does Google retain my uploaded sources?

Sources remain in your notebook until you delete them. After deletion, refer to Google’s Privacy Policy at policies.google.com for details on how long Google may retain data before it is fully removed from their systems.