Google has changed the wording of its privacy policy to create an important exception around Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos. The company still says it does not use content from those services for personalized advertising by default. But the policy now adds that the protection does not apply when a user chooses to make that data available to another Google service that supports personalized ads.
The revised policy took effect on October 16, 2026. It matters most to people who enable Google’s Personal Intelligence features in Search or Gemini, because those tools can connect to Gmail, Photos and other Google services to provide recommendations based on personal context. The tradeoff is that connected information may also influence the ads those services personalize.
What Google changed in its privacy policy
The previous version of Google’s policy said the company did not show personalized ads based on content from Drive, Gmail or Google Photos. The current version keeps that promise but adds an exception: it may not apply when a user makes data from those services available to other Google services that support personalized advertising.
Google’s policy gives Search as an example. A person may allow Search or Gemini Apps to access Gmail, Drive or Photos for a more personal experience. Google says Search may then process some of the permitted data to personalize content, including ads. The policy also says personalized ads can be based on interests, activity or personalized content from Google services, depending on the user’s settings.
This is a policy change rather than a new product launch. The Verge and Ars Technica highlighted the new language after it was first spotted by Android Authority.
This does not mean every Gmail inbox is being mined for ads
The distinction between default behavior and an optional connection is essential. Google’s policy does not say that every Gmail message, Drive document or Google Photos image is automatically fed into its advertising system. The exception is tied to a user choosing to expose data to another Google service that supports personalized ads.
Google also says it does not give advertisers access to personal content from Gmail, Drive or Photos or personally identifying details such as a name or email address. It says personalized ads are not based on sensitive categories including race, religion, sexual orientation or health.
Those limits reduce the scope of the change, but they do not make the decision trivial. Email receipts, travel confirmations, photos and files can reveal purchases, routines and preferences even when an advertiser never sees the original material. A user may reasonably decide that more relevant AI responses are not worth expanding the range of data that can shape advertising.
How Personal Intelligence creates the connection
Google introduced Personal Intelligence for Gemini and AI Mode in Search earlier in 2026. The feature can link Gmail, Google Photos, Search activity and YouTube history so an AI assistant can answer questions using personal context. For example, Google has demonstrated Search using a hotel booking from Gmail and travel photos to build a family itinerary, or considering previous purchases when recommending a coat.
Google describes the feature as opt-in and lets users choose which apps to connect. It also says AI Mode does not train directly on a person’s Gmail inbox or Google Photos library. Training is limited to information such as prompts and the model’s responses, according to the company.
Google has acknowledged that personalization can make mistakes. Its own documentation warns that the system may connect unrelated topics or misunderstand context. Those limitations matter because an inaccurate assumption can affect recommendations before a user notices that personal data was involved.
How to review or turn off the relevant settings
Google’s support instructions say users can manage Search personalization through their Google Account:
- Open the Google Account page.
- Select Data & privacy.
- Open Personalization settings.
- Turn Personalized Recommendations in Search services on or off.
Google also provides a direct Search personalization page. Because settings are rolling out gradually, some accounts may still use Web & App Activity controls instead. Turning off Personalized Recommendations stops Search services from tailoring recommendations from account information, but Google notes that it does not erase Search Services History or disable personalization across every other Google product.
People who have connected Gmail or Photos to Personal Intelligence should also review the individual app connections in Search or Gemini and disconnect sources they no longer want the service to access. Checking both the AI connection and the broader personalization control is more reliable than assuming one switch governs the entire Google account.
Who should pay closest attention
The change is most relevant to people using Personal Intelligence in AI Mode or Gemini, especially those who keep years of receipts, travel plans, work files or family photos in Google’s ecosystem. It also matters to households that share devices or accounts, since personalization based on one person’s activity can produce confusing recommendations for someone else.
Workspace business, enterprise and education accounts were not included in Google’s initial Personal Intelligence rollout for AI Mode, which began with eligible personal accounts in the United States. Availability and controls may expand, so users should rely on the settings currently displayed in their own account rather than assuming the original launch limits still apply everywhere.
The practical takeaway
Google has not announced that Gmail content will suddenly be used for ads across all accounts. The narrower—but still meaningful—change is that opting into connected AI personalization can also open a path for permitted personal data to influence advertising in compatible Google services.
Consumers should treat Personal Intelligence as a data-sharing choice, not merely an AI convenience switch. Before enabling it, consider what is stored in Gmail, Drive and Photos, connect only the services that provide clear value, and revisit the settings periodically. More personalized answers may be useful, but the new policy makes the advertising tradeoff clearer than it was before.