Hi everyone,
I’ve been noticing a recurring pattern with Gemini where IP-based location data appears to be injected into the system context, even when the prompt doesn’t call for anything related to geography. This has been affecting the relevance and generality of responses, especially when you’re expecting a neutral or global answer.
What’s Happening
It seems that Gemini is automatically pulling in the user’s location, based on IP or device data, and biasing its answers based on that location, even when it’s not appropriate.
Example: Campfire Story
Prompt: “Write me a scary campfire story”
Expected Response: A spooky, atmospheric story involving universal horror tropes, ghosts, haunted woods, etc.
Gemini’s Response (from Australia): A localized tale about an Aboriginal spirit in the Outback, with specific references to local flora, fauna, and place names.
While interesting and culturally rich, this wasn’t requested. The story feels too anchored in a regional context, and it undermines the user’s ability to get a generic or globally relatable horror story, especially if they were planning to use it with a broader audience.
Why This Matters
- Context Pollution: Unasked-for location context changes the framing of an answer, making it feel off-topic or misaligned with the intent.
- Bias in Global Queries: When someone asks a global question, introducing a local lens leads to skewed recommendations.
- User Mistrust: It creates uncertainty. Users start second-guessing whether the model is answering their question or tailoring it based on assumptions.
Suggestions
- Add a user-visible toggle to include or exclude geographic context.
- Make location injection explicit, or respond with a disclaimer like: “Based on your region…” only if the prompt explicitly asks for local relevance.
- Consider treating geographic context as opt-in rather than default.
- Consider removing geographic context altogether, and end the answer with something like “If you’d like a version tailored to your location or a specific region, just let me know.”