Google has changed its privacy policy so that data from Gmail, Drive and Google Photos can feed personalized ads if you have chosen to make that data available to other Google services, The Verge reported on Friday. The change, which took effect on October 16 and was first spotted by Android Authority, softens a long-standing promise that Google would not use those products for ad personalization. It matters for anyone who has connected personal accounts to AI Mode, Gemini or other Search tools through Personal Intelligence.

What changed in the policy

Before October 16, Google’s policy simply said it would not use your Drive, Gmail or Photos content for personalized ads. The new version adds an exception, quoted by The Verge: “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.”

The policy gives an example of how that might work. It says you may allow services such as Search or Gemini Apps to access data from Photos and from Workspace apps like Gmail and Drive for a more personalized experience, and that, for instance, “Search may process some of the data that you allow Search to access to personalize content, including ads.” It also says that, depending on your settings, Google may show personalized ads based on your interests, activity or personalized content from its services, such as ads for sports equipment on YouTube after a search for mountain bikes.

Who is affected

The Verge’s reading is that the exception applies to people who have connected Drive, Gmail or Photos to AI Mode and other Search tools through Google’s Personal Intelligence feature. That feature lets those tools give better answers and recommendations by knowing more about you. If you have not connected those accounts, the new exception does not appear to apply to you, although we have not tested how each setting behaves.

We previously covered Personal Intelligence reaching Android Auto and cars with Google built in. The ad-policy change shows the other side of that convenience: the more context you grant an assistant, the more places that context may be used.

What Google says advertisers can see

According to The Verge, advertisers do not get access to your Drive, Gmail or Photos information, or to personally identifying details such as your name or email address. Google also says it will not show ads based on sensitive categories such as race, sexual orientation, religion or health. In other words, the content is described as an input to ad targeting inside Google’s systems, not data handed to third parties.

Those assurances are Google’s own, as quoted in coverage, and we have not been able to audit them. The distinction between an advertiser seeing your data and your data shaping which ads you see is a real one, but privacy advocates often argue that the second still counts as use of personal content.

How to opt out

The Verge reports two routes. You can choose which apps to disconnect from Search’s Personal Intelligence features, for example keeping Calendar connected but removing Gmail and Photos. Or you can disable Personalized Recommendations entirely on the Search Services Personalization settings page. If you want to be certain nothing changes, review both after the update, since policy defaults and feature names can shift.

Why it matters

Large language model assistants become more useful the more they know about you, but access to inboxes and photo libraries is sensitive. Business models matter here: assistants funded by advertising have different incentives from those funded by subscriptions. Other assistants are positioning around the opposite approach; for instance, we covered ChatGPT’s locked chats with biometric protection. Regulators in the European Union and elsewhere already scrutinize consent for ad personalization, so Google’s wording, which hinges on a user’s choice to connect data, is likely to be tested against those rules.

What to watch next

  • Whether Google publishes a fuller explanation or help page describing exactly which signals from connected accounts reach the ad systems.
  • Responses from regulators or privacy groups, especially in the EU.
  • Whether other assistant makers add similar exceptions to their ad or data policies.
  • Changes to the Personal Intelligence setup flow that make the ad link clearer.
  • Independent tests showing whether ads change after connecting Gmail or Photos.

Key takeaways

  • Google’s policy changed on October 16 to allow personalized ads from Drive, Gmail and Photos data you make available to other Google services.
  • The exception applies to people using Personal Intelligence with Search tools and similar features.
  • Google says advertisers do not see your content and that sensitive categories are not used for ad targeting.
  • You can disconnect individual apps from Personal Intelligence or turn off Personalized Recommendations.

Frequently asked questions

Does Google read my emails to show ads again?

Google’s policy now says ads can be personalized using Gmail data only if you choose to make that data available to other Google services that support personalized ads. Without that choice, the previous promise stands.

Can advertisers see my photos or messages?

According to The Verge, no. Advertisers do not get access to Drive, Gmail or Photos information or personally identifying details.

Where do I change this?

Disconnect apps from Personal Intelligence in Search, or turn off Personalized Recommendations on the Search Services Personalization settings page, as The Verge describes.