Connecting Google services to its AI features may have an advertising consequence. Under an updated privacy policy, data from Gmail, Drive, or Google Photos that you choose to share with other Google services could help personalize ads, as well as improve recommendations and responses.
What changed in Google’s policy
Google’s earlier wording said it would not use information from Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos for personalized ads. The updated language adds an exception: that information may be used if you choose to make it available to other Google services that support personalized advertising.
The change was made as of October 16th. It links two choices that may seem separate: allowing an AI or Search feature to use personal content for a more tailored experience, and allowing that content to inform ads shown through Google services.
How shared data could affect ads
Google’s Personal Intelligence feature can connect Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos with AI Mode and other Search tools. The purpose is to let those tools provide responses or recommendations with more information about you. Under the new policy, data made available this way may also be processed to personalize content, including ads.
The policy gives an example of the broader ad-personalization system: someone who searches for “mountain bikes” in Search may see sports equipment ads on YouTube. It says personalized ads can depend on settings, interests, activity, or personalized content from Google services.
That does not mean advertisers receive the underlying Gmail, Drive, or Photos information. The article says advertisers do not get access to that data or to identifying details such as your name or email address. Google also says it will not show ads based on sensitive categories such as race, sexual orientation, religion, or health.
The choice depends on your settings
The policy describes access as something a user may choose to allow. Services including Search or Gemini Apps can access data from other Google services, subject to the policies and settings of the service doing the accessing. The decision about personalization therefore involves both which services you connect and what settings you use.
If you have enabled Personal Intelligence, the practical question is whether the more tailored AI or Search experience is worth making information from your connected services available for broader personalization. The policy change makes that trade-off more explicit: shared data may have implications beyond the response or recommendation you originally wanted.
Ways to limit the use of personal data
Google’s described controls let you choose which apps to disconnect from Search’s Personal Intelligence features. You can also disable Personalized Recommendations entirely through the Search Services Personalization settings page.
Reviewing those choices can help you decide which information Search tools can draw on and whether personalized recommendations remain enabled. If you want to prevent personal data from being used for targeted ads, disconnecting the relevant apps or turning off Personalized Recommendations are the options described in the source.