Now Google says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos data to target ads
Google has updated its privacy policy to allow the use of personal data from Gmail, Drive, and Photos for targeted advertising if users enable personalized AI features. While the company claims it does not share sensitive categories or raw data with advertisers, the change marks a shift in how personal information is leveraged for ad revenue.
Why it matters
This update raises significant privacy concerns regarding the trade-off between using AI-driven personalization and maintaining data confidentiality.
Google has updated its privacy policy in a way that could mean you’ll start seeing targeted ads based on your personal data if you’re using personalized AI features. The update, spotted by Android Authority, adds an exception to its promise about not using your Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos for personalized ads. While the previous version simply said it wouldn’t do that, as of October 16th, Google has added the line, “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.”
That means anyone who has connected their Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos to AI Mode and other Search tools via Google’s Personal Intelligence feature — allowing those tools to provide better responses or recommendations by knowing more about you — may now see ads targeted on the basis of that content.
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