Google's revised privacy policy loosens its pledge on Gmail, Drive and Photos in ads

Google has changed the wording of its privacy policy in a way that appears to weaken a longstanding assurance about how data from its core apps is used in advertising. The update, published on October 16 and first spotted by Android Authority, affects the section of the policy that covers ad personalization.

Until now, that section included a clear limit on certain apps. It stated: "We don't show you personalized ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Photos." Google has replaced that unqualified sentence with new, more hedged language. The change appears to open the door to data from apps such as Gmail and Photos being used in ads when it is shared with other Google services.

Google already has a way to share that data: Personal Intelligence, which the company released in early 2026. The feature lets users hand information from several of their apps to Google's AI products. The aim is that the extra context from a person's existing data produces better AI answers, though the feature has also raised significant privacy concerns.

Personal Intelligence links user data to the Gemini app, and also to features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode in search. The Gemini app does not currently show ads, but sponsored content can appear in AI search tools. The policy revision therefore seems to acknowledge that data shared with AI search through Personal Intelligence could feed into ad personalization.

Google says the clarification does not mean ads are "based directly" on personal data. In a statement, the company said: "Connecting your apps is entirely opt-in. Ads will continue to be relevant to things like your query, the context of the response and your interests. Ads will not be based directly on your Gmail inbox or Photos library, and as always, sensitive information will not be used to tailor ads."

That statement amounts to a roundabout confirmation that Workspace and Photos data may influence ads. If someone uses AI Mode with Personal Intelligence switched on, summaries and insights drawn from their data may shape the answers they receive. Because the same data is also used for ad targeting, it is accurate to say personal data can be an element of ad targeting in AI search, and the revised privacy policy now says as much.

The distinction Google draws is between ads built directly on the contents of an inbox or photo library and ads informed by AI responses that themselves draw on that material. For users, the practical point is that the protection once stated plainly in the policy now comes with qualifications, and Personal Intelligence is opt-in, so connecting apps remains a choice.