Google Privacy Policy Update Lets Gmail and Photos Data Inform Ads When Users Opt In to Personal Intelligence

Google updated its privacy policy, effective October 16, 2026, to add an exception to its promise about ads. The earlier text said "We don't show you personalized ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos"; it now continues "unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads". Android Authority spotted the change.

In practice, the exception matters for people who turn on Personal Intelligence, which Google began rolling out in beta at the start of 2026 and which lets AI Mode, Search and Gemini draw on Gmail, Drive and Photos. The policy's example reads "Search may process some of the data that you allow Search to access to personalize content, including ads". The Verge notes advertisers do not get access to Drive, Gmail or Photos information or personally identifying details, and Google will not use sensitive categories such as health.

Google's position is that this is a clarification. Its statement says "Connecting your apps is entirely opt-in" and "Ads will not be based directly on your Gmail inbox or Photos library"; a spokesperson told Ars Technica it does not change how Google handles data with ad partners, is not scanning entire inboxes and is not giving this data to third parties. Ars Technica reads the statement as "essentially a roundabout way of confirming" that Workspace and Photos data may inform ads when shown through AI search, and notes the Gemini app has no ads today while AI search tools may show sponsored content.

For GOOGL, the sources contain no revenue figures or regulatory action. What to watch is how many users enable Personal Intelligence, whether it stays opt-in (9to5Google says "for the time being") and how Google describes ads in AI search.