Google has updated its privacy policy to allow the use of personal data from Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos for advertising personalization. This change, which appeared in the document on October 16, 2026, applies to users who have enabled AI features, such as AI Mode, for these services.
The new policy creates an exception where data can be used if a user grants other Google services access to their content. This includes Google Search and Gemini applications, which may process information from connected services to generate personalized recommendations and responses.
Google clarifies that advertisers do not gain direct access to user data and are not provided with personal identifiers like names or email addresses. The company also maintains existing restrictions on targeting based on sensitive categories, including health, religion, or race.
Users can opt out of this data usage for advertising by disconnecting specific applications from the Personal Intelligence feature or by disabling personalized recommendations within the search settings.
