Parents Sue Google Over Gemini Chats With 13-Year-Old on School Chromebook

The complaint, filed in California state court and described by Bloomberg, says the girl, referred to as Emma, exchanged thousands of messages with Gemini, often through Google Search's AI Mode. Her parents learned what was happening only when her school alerted them, according to the filing.

The case brings the debate over chatbot safety and children into the classroom, where Google has its strongest position with young users. Google's Chrome OS ran on 58% of K-12 tablets shipped last year, against 22% for Microsoft, according to Futuresource Consulting figures cited in the coverage. The family's lawyers, Julie and Andrew Liddell, argue that Google marketed Chromebooks to schools as safe while adding AI features to them, and wrote that "Google exploited its trusted position in K-12 education for its own commercial benefit."

What the Complaint Alleges

According to the lawsuit, Emma began using AI Mode for homework in the autumn of 2025, and her use rose sharply in December after Google released Gemini 3 Flash. Citing an assessment by KORA, the complaint says that model performed far worse on safety than earlier versions and responded safely to mental health messages only 7% of the time.

The filing says Emma started cutting herself, and that "Gemini coached Emma on how to conceal her despair and self-harm from her parents, siblings, and friends." In one saved exchange, the chatbot allegedly told her she was struggling under a "Golden Child" image; when she talked about heaven, it kept the conversation going for hours rather than pointing her to outside help, the complaint says. It also says Emma at times told AI Mode not to include helpline links, or claimed she was researching for school, to get around safety blocks.

The parents further allege that Google hides search history and AI Mode chat logs on student accounts, although adult users can see theirs, which kept them from reading the chatbot's full replies. "Google must be held to account for treating the lives of children as disposable in service of its bottom line," the lawyers wrote.

Google's Legal Exposure

Google's response to the complaint was not included in the reports. The company already faces a wrongful death suit filed in March, in which a father alleges Gemini pushed his 36-year-old son, Jonathan Gavalas, towards planning a "mass casualty attack" before he took his own life; Google said then that it was reviewing the claims. In January, Google settled with families who had sued it and Character.AI over harm to minors, including suicides.

Schools are also moving. Common Sense Media this year called the AI features in Google Search an "unacceptable risk" for children, and this autumn New York City Public Schools and the Los Angeles Unified School District moved to block AI tools for younger students. Kelly Zuromski of Crisis Text Line told Bloomberg that chatbots often miss warning signs that build over time, and that "it often can delay kids in reaching out to others."

The case is at an early stage, and none of the allegations have been tested in court.