Google has updated its privacy policy to clarify how user data from Gmail, Drive, and Photos interacts with personalized advertising. While these services remain excluded from ad targeting by default, the company introduced an exception for cases where users choose to connect this data to other Google services.
The change is linked to the company's new personal intelligence features. When users link their accounts, tools like Gemini or Google Search can access emails or photos to provide contextual answers, such as restaurant recommendations based on hotel booking confirmations found in Gmail.
Google emphasizes that these connections are optional and user-controlled. Users can manage or disconnect services at any time through the Data and Privacy settings in their Google account. However, the updated policy warns that data shared with services that support personalized ads may influence the ads a user sees.
The company maintains that it does not scan all personal content for advertising purposes by default. Furthermore, Google states it will not share personally identifiable information, such as names or email addresses, with advertisers unless explicitly requested by the user.
Users can disable these features by navigating to the Personalization and Activity section in their account settings. It is important to note that even after disconnecting services or deleting original files, information already stored in the search service history may persist.
