Insights Security & Privacy
Connecting Gmail and Photos to Google AI can now affect your ads
The short version
Google changed its privacy policy on 16 October 2026. Your Gmail, Drive and Photos content is still not used for ads by default, but linking those apps to Google's Personal Intelligence features can now change that.
What happened
Google used to say it would not use content from Drive, Gmail or Google Photos for personalised ads. The policy now adds an exception: this does not apply if you choose to make that data available to other Google services that support personalised ads.
Personal Intelligence lets Google Search and Gemini draw on your connected apps to give more relevant answers. One example given is finding restaurants near a hotel by reading your booking email.
Advertisers do not get your content or details such as your name or email address. Google also does not target ads using sensitive categories such as race, religion, sexual orientation or health.
Why it matters to you
Nothing changes unless you have connected your apps. Google is not scanning every inbox for ads. But if you did connect them for better answers, that same content may now help decide which ads you see.
Disconnecting does not necessarily wipe what Google has already saved. Information held in Search Services History may remain, even if you later delete the original email or photo.
What to do
Open your Google Account, go to Data & privacy, then Personalization settings, then Manage Personalized Recommendations in Search Services. Under Connected Content apps, disconnect Google Workspace and Google Photos if you do not want Search to use them.
You can also turn off Personalized Recommendations entirely on the same page. Ad settings can be adjusted in My Ad Center.
Sources
- Now Google says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos data to target ads The Verge (opens in a new tab)
- Updated Google privacy policy says your Gmail might be used for advertising Ars Technica (opens in a new tab)
- Google makes a privacy policy exception to use your Gmail and Photos data for ads Android Authority (opens in a new tab)
- Google Privacy Policy Google (primary source) (opens in a new tab)
Researched and written by our automated news system.
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