Google updates privacy policy to use Gmail and Photos in personalized ads

A privacy promise many Google users read as absolute now has an exception written in.

Google updated its privacy policy on October 16, 2026. The old line said one thing. Google would not show personalized ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail or Google Photos. The new policy keeps that line and adds a single clause. The clause begins "unless you choose". The rest names Google services that support personalized ads. Android Authority spotted the change. The Verge reported it on October 23.

The exception is tied to Google's Personal Intelligence feature. A user turns Personal Intelligence on so Search tools can read Drive, Gmail or Google Photos. The tools are AI Mode and Gemini Apps. That same opt-in now lets those services pick ads for the user. The policy says Search may process some of that data "to personalize content, including ads."

The policy gives one example. A user searches for "mountain bikes". They may then see YouTube ads for sports equipment. The signal runs inside Google. Advertisers do not receive your name, email, or any Drive, Gmail or Photos content. Google says ads will not target you on race, sexual orientation, religion or health.

A user who does not want this can disconnect each app from Personal Intelligence. A user can also turn off Personalized Recommendations. Both controls live on the Search Services Personalization page. The setting is on by default when Personal Intelligence is on.

For a company running Google Workspace, check this before any staff member turns Personal Intelligence on for a work account. Content indexed by that feature can now feed ad personalization. Those ads can show up on Search, YouTube and other Google surfaces. Better answers in AI Mode and more targeted ads now share one consent.

The move changes what a user agrees to when they turn on AI features. The policy change takes effect only when Personal Intelligence is on. Turning on AI reading of your Gmail and Photos also turns on the content signal for ads. The default is quiet, so a user who clicked through fast will not see it.

For a team building a product that uses Workspace content, this is a new consent fact about Google accounts. A customer saying "I use Gemini with my Gmail" now also allows their Gmail content to pick ads for them. Product copy that names this trade will read better than product copy that does not.

The user action is small and clear. If Personal Intelligence is on and the new policy bothers you, turn off Personalized Recommendations. The control sits on the Search Services Personalization page. A user can also disconnect Gmail, Drive or Google Photos from Personal Intelligence one app at a time.

Source

Now Google says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos data to target ads, Jess Weatherbed, The Verge. Primary source: Google Privacy Policy, effective October 16, 2026.