Google's Privacy Shift: Personal Data and Targeted Ads

Google has updated its privacy policy, a change that could lead to targeted advertisements appearing within personalized AI features. The alteration, which went into effect on October 16th, modifies the company's long-standing commitment to not using data from Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos for ad targeting. Previously, the policy stated this data would not be used for such purposes without exception.

The updated policy now includes a specific clause: “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.” This means that when you enable features like Personal Intelligence, which allows tools like Search and Gemini to access your personal data to provide more tailored responses and recommendations, you may also be opening that data up for ad personalization. The company's own policy text provides an example: “Search may process some of the data that you allow Search to access to personalize content, including ads.”

However, the policy outlines clear limits on this practice. Advertisers themselves do not receive access to your personal files or identifying details such as your name and email address. Furthermore, Google will not target ads based on sensitive categories, including race, sexual orientation, religion, or health.

This change affects users who have connected their Gmail, Drive, or Google Photos to AI Mode and other Search functionalities. By linking these services to provide a “more personalized experience,” you may see advertisements based on the content processed for those AI features. Google states that it may show ads based on your “interests, activity, or personalized content from Google services.”

For those who wish to avoid this, there are controls available. You can manage which applications have access to your data through the Search Services Personalization settings page, or you can disable personalized recommendations entirely to prevent your information from being used for ad targeting.