Google policy shift permits ad targeting using Gmail and Photos data

Google’s privacy policy now allows ads to be shaped by content stored in Gmail, Drive, and Photos. The change took effect on Oct 16, seven days before this report. It is directly tied to the company’s Personal Intelligence feature, which began rolling out in beta earlier this year.

Android Authority first spotted the update, which The Verge also covered. Previous versions of the policy stated that personalized ads were not based on user content from Drive, Gmail, or Photos. The current text adds an exception to that rule. It applies unless a user chooses to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.

The wording is broad, but the specific action described involves turning on Personal Intelligence for an account. This feature allows Gemini to draw on data shared among Google apps, including Gmail, Photos, Search, and Drive. The policy explains how this mechanism works in practice. Users may allow services like Search or the Gemini apps to access data from other services, such as Photos and Workspace apps, in exchange for a more personalized experience.

The document provides a concrete example. Search may process some of the data a user lets it access to personalize content, including ads. Google has not stated that it is handing the contents of a person’s inbox, cloud storage, or photo library to advertisers. However, the revised language makes it possible for ads to be targeted using that connected content in places such as Search.

The company’s position on identifying details remains unchanged. The policy still states that advertisers will not see personally identifying information, such as a user’s name and email address, without the user's permission. This language is identical to earlier versions of the document.

Personal Intelligence remains opt-in for now. Individuals who wish to review their account settings can do so through a specific path. They should open the Data & privacy section of the My Account page and choose Personalization settings. From there, they can select Manage Personalized Recommendations in Search services.

That page includes a Turn off button. Activating this control disables personalized recommendations entirely for the user’s account.