TL;DR
Get everyday helpers delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Google’s updated privacy policy, effective Oct. 16, says the company’s restriction on using Gmail, Drive and Photos content for personalized ads may not apply when users choose to share data with other Google services that support personalized ads. The change does not mean Google automatically scans everyone’s messages and photos for advertising; how the exception applies across individual services and settings remains unclear.
Google’s updated privacy policy, which took effect on Oct. 16, says information from Gmail, Google Photos and Drive could be used to personalize advertisements if users choose to make that data available to other Google services that support personalized ads. The change qualifies Google’s stated restriction on using content from those apps for advertising, but does not mean the company is automatically scanning every user’s private files to target ads.
The policy continues to say Google does not use content from Gmail, Drive or Photos for personalized advertising by default. It adds an exception: the restriction may not apply “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.” Dexerto reported the change, citing an update first spotted by Android Authority.
The exception relates to Google services that can draw on information from connected apps for personalized features. Google’s Personal Intelligence features, including those associated with Search and Gemini, can use information from connected services to provide recommendations. A user might, for example, give a service access to Gmail to help organize travel plans or find restaurants near a hotel reservation. Under the revised wording, information shared for such a service could also influence ads.
The policy change concerns data users choose to share with eligible services; it is not evidence that Google has begun using every Gmail message or photo for ad targeting. The source report also says advertisers do not directly receive users’ private emails, photos or personally identifying information without permission. Users who do not want the connections can disconnect apps from Personal Intelligence or turn off Personalized Recommendations in their Google Account settings.
When Connected Data Can Shape Ads
The change matters because it links two uses of personal data that users may experience as separate: sharing account information to get tailored assistance and having that information potentially affect advertising. A person who connects Gmail to a Google service for a practical task may not expect the same shared information to be relevant to personalized ads.
The policy describes a conditional exception, not a blanket change to all accounts. Its practical reach depends on which services a person connects, what data those services can access, and whether they support personalized advertising. That makes the wording and account controls relevant to users deciding whether the convenience of connected recommendations is worth sharing information across services.
The distinction also matters for privacy discussions: a policy permitting data to inform ads is not the same as advertisers gaining direct access to a person’s inbox or photo library. Google’s stated position, as reported by Dexerto, is that this exception applies when users make data available to eligible services. The report does not establish how often the information is then used to select ads.
privacy screen protector for laptop
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Google’s Connected AI Features
Google has been expanding AI features that use information across its products. The report describes Personal Intelligence as a way for services such as Search and Gemini to draw on connected apps and offer more relevant responses or recommendations. It also points to an AI-powered Gmail inbox that can analyze messages to surface information such as reminders and upcoming tasks.
That product direction provides the immediate context for the policy language: data shared to support a personalized feature may also fall within the updated exception for services that support personalized ads. The report separately notes that Google began analyzing Canadian users’ Search and YouTube viewing histories in September to estimate ages, with some adults potentially asked to verify their identities. That is a separate development and does not establish how the Gmail, Photos and Drive advertising exception works.
““Unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.””
— Google, in the updated privacy policy as quoted in the Dexerto report
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How the Exception Applies in Practice
The report does not specify which connected services currently support personalized ads, what categories of shared information may be used, or how long any data remains available to those services. It also does not describe whether users receive a separate notice when a connection makes data eligible for advertising personalization.
Google’s policy wording sets out a possible use, but the source material does not establish that every connected account’s data has been used to choose ads. Nor does it detail whether disconnecting an app removes information already retained in Google systems. Dexerto, citing Android Authority, cautions that disconnecting an app does not necessarily delete information previously saved in Search Services History.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Review Connections and Account Controls
Users concerned about the change can review connected apps and personalization settings in their Google Account, disconnect Gmail, Photos or other apps from Personal Intelligence, or disable Personalized Recommendations, according to the source report. Those steps can limit future sharing through the relevant connections, but users should not assume that disconnecting an app automatically erases previously saved information.
Google has not, in the material provided, announced a further policy revision or detailed a schedule for explaining the exception. The key next development would be clearer information from Google about which services and data are covered, how users are notified, and what happens to information shared before a connection is removed.
privacy screen protector for smartphone
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
Does the policy mean Google will scan everyone’s Gmail and Photos for ads?
No. The report says Google’s restriction still applies by default. The exception concerns data users choose to make available to eligible Google services that support personalized ads.
What information could affect personalized ads?
The policy language refers to data from Gmail, Google Photos and Drive shared with other Google services. The report does not specify exactly which data categories may be used or how each service applies the exception.
Can advertisers see my private emails or photos?
According to the source report, Google says advertisers cannot directly access private emails, photos or personally identifying information without permission. The policy change concerns potential use of shared information to personalize ads, not direct advertiser access to those files.
How can I limit sharing from connected apps?
The report says users can disconnect apps from Personal Intelligence or disable Personalized Recommendations in Google Account settings. Disconnecting an app may not delete information already saved in Search Services History.
Source: fediverse
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
