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6.5HIGH

Google Chrome silently installs 4GB Gemini Nano AI model on user devices

📅 6 May 2026 at 13:59 UTC📰 Cyber InsiderView original source ↗
Google Chrome silently installs 4GB Gemini Nano AI model on user devices

Google Chrome has been quietly downloading and installing a 4GB Gemini Nano AI model on user devices without displaying a consent prompt or offering a clear opt-out mechanism. The findings were published by privacy researcher Alexander Hanff of That Privacy Guy, who documented the behavior through filesystem-level analysis on macOS and corroborated it with Chrome … The post Google Chrome silently installs 4GB Gemini Nano AI model on user devices appeared first on CyberInsider.

🤖 AI BriefingAuto-generated threat analysis
🔍Threat Overview

Google Chrome silently installs a 4GB Gemini Nano AI model on user devices without explicit consent, potentially violating European privacy rules and EU Digital Markets Act obligations.

⚙️Technical Details
Affected Systems
WindowsmacOSLinux
Attack Vectors
Auto-downloading via Chrome updates
💥Impact Assessment
Severity: High
Who Is at Risk
Users of Google Chrome with the Gemini Nano AI model installedAdministrators of Windows systemsSeverity: High
🛡️Recommended Actions
1Manually delete the weights.bin file to prevent further installation
2Disable the 'optimization guide on device' feature in Chrome flags (version 137 and newer)
3Create a registry policy to disable the behavior on Windows systems
📦Affected Products
Google Chrome

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