Google has changed the wording of its privacy policy in a way that could bring ads based on your personal files and photos, if you use its personalized AI features. The change, which Android Authority spotted, adds a carve-out to a promise Google had made not to use data from Drive, Gmail or Google Photos for personalized ads.
The previous version said plainly that Google would not do that. As of October 16, the policy adds a qualifier: “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.”
The change matters most for people who have linked those accounts to Google's Personal Intelligence feature. That tool lets AI Mode and other Search features give better responses and recommendations by drawing on what Google knows about you. Users who connected Drive, Gmail or Google Photos to it may now see ads targeted on the basis of that content.
Google says advertisers never see that material. They 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, including race, sexual orientation, religion or health.
The policy spells out how the data can flow. “You may choose to allow certain Google services, including services like Search or Gemini Apps, to access data from other Google services you use,” it reads, “such as Google Photos and Workspace apps like Gmail and Drive, in order to provide you with a more personalized experience.” It adds that Search may process some of that data to personalize content, including ads.
Another passage describes how interest-based ads could follow users across products. “Depending on your settings, we may also show you personalized ads based on your interests, activity, or personalized content from Google services,” the policy says. Its example: a Search for “mountain bikes” could lead to sports equipment ads on YouTube.
Users who want to stop this have two options. They can choose which apps to disconnect from Search's Personal Intelligence features, or they can turn off Personalized Recommendations entirely on the Search Services Personalization settings page.
This article was written with the assistance of AI.
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