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Google’s updated privacy policy says Search may process information from Gmail, Drive and Google Photos for personalized content, including ads, when users make that data available to connected services. The change does not mean every user’s messages and photos are automatically used for ads; access depends on feature use and settings, and Google says advertisers do not receive the underlying data.
Google has updated its privacy policy to say that information from Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos may be used to personalize ads when users allow other Google services, including Search, to access that data. The wording, added on October 16 and reported by The Verge on October 23, clarifies a potential advertising use for data connected through Google’s personalized AI and Search features.
The policy change adds an exception to Google’s earlier statement that it would not use content from Drive, Gmail or Photos for personalized ads. The new wording says that restriction does not apply when users choose to make information from those services available to other Google services that support personalized advertising. The Verge reported that Android Authority first spotted the update.
Google’s policy gives Search as an example of a service that can process data users allow it to access to personalize content, including ads. The report says users who connect their accounts to Search tools through Personal Intelligence may have information from those services used to shape ads. Google’s policy also describes personalized ads based on a person’s interests, activity or personalized content from Google services.
The stated change concerns the way connected data may be processed; it does not say advertisers can inspect a user’s inbox, files or photos. The Verge reports that advertisers do not get access to that underlying information or identifying details such as a person’s name or email address. Google also says it will not show ads based on sensitive categories including race, sexual orientation, religion or health.
What Connected Data Could Mean for Ads
The policy matters because information users provide to an AI feature for more relevant responses may also contribute to ad personalization if that feature passes data to a service that supports ads. A user might understand connecting Gmail or Photos as a way to improve Search recommendations, without realizing the policy describes a possible advertising use as well.
That does not establish that every connected message or image will be used to select an ad. The wording makes the outcome conditional on users choosing to share data with another service, and Google says its systems—not advertisers—handle the information. Still, the update broadens the stated circumstances in which data from these services can inform personalized content, making account settings and feature choices relevant to users concerned about how their personal information is used.
The distinction between access and disclosure is also important. According to the report, advertisers do not receive the content itself or identifying details. The policy nevertheless describes processing that could affect which ads a user sees. The source does not specify exactly how frequently this occurs, which data types influence particular ads, or whether users will be notified when connected data is used this way.
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How Google’s Policy Wording Changed
The earlier wording stated that Google would not use content from Drive, Gmail or Photos for personalized ads. The revision, effective October 16 according to The Verge’s report, adds an exception for cases where users make data from those services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.
The change comes as Google offers features that can draw on information across its services to provide more tailored responses or recommendations. The Verge links the policy language to Personal Intelligence, which can connect personal data to AI Mode and other Search tools. The policy excerpt itself describes Search and Gemini Apps as examples of services that may access data from Google Photos and Workspace apps such as Gmail and Drive, subject to the settings and policies of the service receiving access.
Google’s example of a personalized ad is a person searching for mountain bikes and later seeing sports-equipment ads on YouTube. That example describes ad personalization based on Search activity; it does not establish that Gmail or Photos content was used in that particular case.
““Search may process some of the data that you allow Search to access to personalize content, including ads.””
— Google privacy policy, as quoted by The Verge
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What Google Has Not Specified
The policy wording establishes that connected data may be processed for personalized ads, but the source material does not say how often this happens, which specific information is considered, or how Google determines whether a given item affects an ad. It also does not establish that all users who enable a personalized AI feature will see ads based on their Gmail, Drive or Photos data.
The available report does not include a direct explanation from Google of why it changed the wording, nor does it detail whether the policy update corresponds to a new technical capability or clarifies an existing practice. The exact controls users see may vary by service and settings. Google’s stated exclusions for sensitive categories and its position that advertisers do not receive the underlying data are reported, but further operational details are not provided.
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Reviewing Search Personalization Controls
Users who do not want connected personal data to inform targeted ads can review which apps they have linked to Search’s Personal Intelligence features, or disable Personalized Recommendations through Google’s Search Services Personalization settings page, according to The Verge. The practical next step is to check those controls and disconnect services a user does not want Search to access.
Google has not announced in the cited material a further policy deadline or a separate rollout schedule. The immediate issue for users is therefore whether their accounts have these connections enabled and what the relevant settings permit. Any additional clarification from Google about the scope of data use or the effect of particular settings would help answer questions the policy text leaves open.
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Key Questions
Does Google automatically use every Gmail message and photo for ads?
The reported policy does not say that all users’ content is automatically used. It says data may be processed when users choose to make it available to another Google service that supports personalized ads, with access subject to settings and service policies.
Can advertisers read my Gmail or Google Photos content?
According to The Verge, advertisers do not receive users’ Drive, Gmail or Photos information, or identifying details such as names and email addresses. The policy describes Google processing connected data to personalize content, including ads.
Which Google features are involved?
The report links the change to Search tools and Personal Intelligence, which can connect personal information to AI Mode and other Search features. The policy also names Search and Gemini Apps as services that may access data from other Google services.
How can I prevent connected data from being used for targeted ads?
The Verge says users can disconnect apps from Search’s Personal Intelligence features or disable Personalized Recommendations in Google’s Search Services Personalization settings.
Does Google use sensitive personal categories to target ads?
Google says it will not show ads based on sensitive categories including race, sexual orientation, religion or health, according to the report.
Source: hn
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