Google amended its privacy policy on October 16 to clarify that data users connect from Gmail, Drive or Google Photos to other Google services can support personalized advertising. The earlier language said content from those products would not feed personalized ads.
The revision adds an exception for information that people make available to Google services that support ad personalization, as first reported by The Verge. Google keeps Gmail, Drive and Photos content out of ad targeting by default unless a user connects those applications to an eligible product.
Connected AI tools create a new path for personal data
Services including AI Mode and Personal Intelligence can access information from linked apps to tailor their responses. Google has expanded Personal Intelligence and related AI features across Gemini and Search, where connected accounts can help the tools answer questions using a person’s own information.
That makes the policy wording important for anyone who uses Google’s AI features with an inbox, file storage or photo library. Gmail and Google Photos can hold sensitive personal material, while Drive may contain work documents and other private files. A connection that helps an AI service produce more relevant answers can now also affect how Google treats that information for advertising purposes.
Users can disconnect apps, though stored history may remain
People can disconnect linked applications or turn off personalized recommendations. Google may not automatically remove information already stored in Search Services History after someone disables a connection, however. Users who want to limit future sharing will need to review both their linked-app settings and the recommendation controls attached to Google’s services.
Google has not identified which connected information will qualify for ad personalization or how widely the exception will apply across its products. The available summaries also do not establish whether the company has already used connected Gmail, Drive or Photos information to target advertising. Those details will determine how much the revised wording changes the practical privacy trade-off for people using Gemini, Search and other connected services.
This article was produced with AI assistance from multi-source reporting and is published under our editorial standards.
