Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is calling on Google to provide greater transparency about its plans to integrate a checkout feature into its Gemini AI chatbot, raising serious concerns about user privacy and potential consumer manipulation. In a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai, Warren warns that the new functionality could enable Google and retailers to exploit sensitive user data, potentially leading to higher prices and increased spending by consumers. Last month, Google announced that users will soon be able to purchase products directly within Gemini using the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a standard developed in collaboration with major retailers including Shopify, Target, Walmart, Wayfair, and Etsy. The UCP aims to streamline communication between AI assistants and e-commerce platforms, but Warren is demanding clarity on exactly what user data will be shared and how it will be used. She points out that Google already holds vast amounts of personal data from user searches and AI interactions, and warns that combining this with data from other Google services and third-party retailers could create a powerful system for influencing consumer behavior. “Such intimate data could be merged with both user data from other Google services and third-party retailer data to drive consumer behavior in an exploitative manner,” she writes. Warren also questions whether Google will favor shopping results from its retail partners over competitors, potentially undermining fair competition. She highlights a previous statement from Google on X (formerly Twitter), where the company acknowledged it will use “sensitive data to help retailers upsell consumers into buying a more ‘premium’ product.” This, she argues, raises red flags about the motivations behind product recommendations. The senator is asking Google to disclose how user data will impact pricing decisions, whether users will be informed when a product suggestion is driven by upselling goals, advertising incentives, or personal data, and what safeguards are in place to prevent misuse. She also wants details on how consent will be obtained and how data will be stored and protected. Google has until February 17th to respond to the letter. Warren’s inquiry underscores growing scrutiny over how tech giants leverage AI and user data to influence purchasing behavior, especially as AI-powered shopping becomes more embedded in everyday digital experiences.