Lawyer's Google Account Suspended After Uploading Documents to NotebookLM

What Happened

A lawyer reports that after uploading public records documents to Google's AI note-taking service NotebookLM, his Gmail, Google Voice, and Google Photos accounts were deactivated without prior warning or explanation. The documents were publicly available legal records uploaded for professional research purposes.

A Broader Pattern

This incident appears to be part of a wider issue: multiple users have reported that AI tools, including NotebookLM and ChatGPT, systematically block the analysis of certain sensitive public documents. When prompted to analyze specific categories of public records, these tools refuse or flag the content as policy violations — sometimes triggering account-level consequences.

The Core Problem: Opacity

The lack of transparency around enforcement criteria is the most troubling aspect. Users have no way of knowing in advance which documents might trigger automated account restrictions. This is particularly problematic for professionals — lawyers, journalists, researchers — who routinely handle sensitive but publicly available materials as part of their legitimate work.

The case raises important questions about how AI platforms balance content safety policies with the legitimate needs of professional users, and whether automated enforcement systems are equipped to make these distinctions accurately.