Google Policy Shift: Gmail Data May Fuel Ad Targeting

Google has altered its privacy policy to permit the use of personal content from Gmail, Drive, and Google Photos for targeting advertisements when users engage with personalized AI features. The modification, which took effect on October 16, introduces a specific exception to the company's previous stance against utilizing this data for personalized ads. The updated text states that such data will not be used "unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads." This change was identified by Android Authority.

The policy update is connected to the Personal Intelligence feature, which enables tools like Search and Gemini to access data from other services to provide more tailored responses. Consequently, users who have linked their Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos to AI Mode or other Search tools via Personal Intelligence may now encounter advertisements influenced by that specific content. This applies when a user allows certain Google services to access data from other Google services they use. The policy outlines that Search, for example, may process data you allow it to access to personalize content, including ads.

While this expands the use of data for ad targeting, Google has specified limitations on how that information is handled. Advertisers are not granted access to the actual contents of Drive, Gmail, or Photos, nor are they provided with personally identifying details such as a user's name or email address. Furthermore, Google maintains that it will not display advertisements based on sensitive categories, including race, sexual orientation, religion, or health.

Users who prefer to keep their personal data out of targeted advertising have control over these settings. To prevent this, one can choose which applications to disconnect from Search's Personal Intelligence features or disable Personalized Recommendations entirely. This can be managed through the Search Services Personalization settings page, allowing individuals to determine the extent of personalization and data sharing for ad purposes.