Google Quietly Updates Privacy Policy to Let Gmail and Photos Data Feed Ads

In brief

• Google revised its privacy policy, effective Oct. 16, to let content from Gmail, Drive and Google Photos personalize ads “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.”
• The exception hinges on Personal Intelligence, which lets AI Mode and Gemini draw on connected apps; opting into those conveniences can now also feed ad targeting, though it’s off by default and advertisers don’t see the underlying content.
• Users can opt out via Connected Content apps settings.

Google has carved out an exception to its long-standing promise not to use Gmail, Drive, and Google Photos content for advertising, quietly revising its privacy policy so that data from those apps can help personalize ads when users connect it to the company’s AI features.

The change, which took effect Oct. 16 and was first spotted by Android Authority, adds a conditional clause to a pledge Google has made for years.

The updated policy now reads that Google doesn’t show personalized ads based on content from Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.”