Google has revised its privacy policy to permit the use of personal data from Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive for targeted advertising purposes, according to a change documented on October 16th. Previously, the company stated it would not use content from these services for personalized ads. The updated language now includes an exception allowing data from these services to be utilized if users have opted to connect them to other Google services that support personalized advertising, such as Search and Gemini Apps through the Personal Intelligence feature.
Under the revised policy, individuals who have enabled Personal Intelligence features can expect to receive advertisements tailored based on information from their connected email, photo storage, and cloud storage accounts. The company clarified that advertisers themselves do not gain access to the underlying data, nor does Google target advertisements based on sensitive personal categories including race, sexual orientation, religion, or health status. Users’ names, email addresses, and other directly identifying information also remain unavailable to advertisers.
The policy update reflects Google’s broader approach to personalization, which the company says provides better search results and recommendations by analyzing user content. Examples in the updated policy indicate that searches for specific products could result in related advertisements across Google’s advertising network, including YouTube.
Users who wish to prevent their personal data from informing targeted advertising can manage these settings through Google’s Search Services Personalization controls. The platform allows users to selectively disconnect individual applications from Personal Intelligence features or disable personalized recommendations entirely if preferred.
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