Google has modified its privacy policy to indicate that sharing personal information to improve AI recommendations will also permit the use of that data for more targeted advertising.
According to Android Authority, the tech giant updated its policy to add an exception to its previous pledge against using Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos for personalized ads. The update, effective October 16th, now includes the language: "unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads."
Consequently, users who have synchronized their Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos with AI Mode and other Search tools using Google’s Personal Intelligence feature—thereby enabling better responses and recommendations—may now encounter ads tailored to the content of these specific services.
It is important to note that advertisers do not receive direct access to raw user data or personally identifying details like names or email addresses. Furthermore, Google commits to not displaying ads based on sensitive categories such as race, sexual orientation, religion, or health.
The policy explicitly states, "You may choose to allow certain Google services, including services like Search or Gemini Apps, to access data from other Google services you use, such as Google Photos and Workspace apps like Gmail and Drive, in order to provide you with a more personalized experience, subject to the policies and settings of the accessing service. For example, Search may process some of the data that you allow Search to access to personalize content, including ads."
"Depending on your settings, we may also show you personalized ads based on your interests, activity, or personalized content from Google services. For example, if you search for ‘mountain bikes,’ in Search you may see ads for sports equipment on YouTube."
Users concerned about their privacy can prevent their data from being utilized for ad targeting by controlling which apps are linked to Search’s Personal Intelligence features or by completely turning off Personalized Recommendations via the Search Services Personalization settings page.
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