Social media users have uncovered a controversial capability of Google’s latest AI model, Gemini 2.0 Flash—it can remove watermarks from images, including those from stock media giants like Getty Images.

Google recently expanded access to Gemini 2.0 Flash’s image generation tool, which allows users to create and edit pictures directly. While undeniably powerful, the feature appears to have minimal safeguards. It generates images of celebrities and copyrighted characters, erases watermarks, and seamlessly fills in the missing areas.

According to reports from users on X and Reddit, Gemini 2.0 Flash doesn’t just remove watermarks—it reconstructs the obscured portions with surprising accuracy. While other AI tools offer similar functionality, Gemini 2.0 Flash stands out for its effectiveness and accessibility, as it remains free.


Currently, the image generation feature is labeled as “experimental” and is limited to Google’s AI Studio for developers. However, its ability to bypass digital rights protections has sparked concerns. Competing AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet explicitly refuse to remove watermarks, citing ethical and legal issues. Under U.S. copyright law, stripping a watermark without permission is generally illegal, with only rare exceptions.

Google has yet to respond to concerns regarding the implications of this feature.

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