Google Updates Privacy Policy to Allow AI-Driven Ad Targeting

Google has updated its privacy policy to remove a previous, explicit guarantee that it would not show personalized ads based on content from Gmail, Drive, or Photos, according to reporting from Ars Technica.

As reported by Ars Technica, the policy update—first spotted by Android Authority on October 16—introduces equivocation that potentially allows sensitive data to inform advertising when shared across Google services. This shift coincides with the early 2026 release of "Personal Intelligence," a feature that allows users to opt-in to sharing data from multiple apps with Google AI products, including the Gemini app and AI Mode search.

While Google maintains that ads are not based "directly" on a user's Gmail inbox or Photos library, Ars Technica notes that if a user enables Personal Intelligence, summaries and insights derived from that personal data may inform AI search answers, which in turn can include sponsored content.

A Google spokesperson told Ars Technica that the clarification does not change how the company handles data with advertising partners, stating that Google is not scanning entire inboxes to enhance profiles or providing this data to third parties.

Ars Technica highlights that while Personal Intelligence is an opt-in service, Google utilizes various pop-ups and prompts to encourage activation. Users seeking to prevent their personal data from informing ads must manually disable connected apps within Gemini settings or navigate through the main Google account settings under "Data & privacy."