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A Quiet Edit to a Long-Standing Promise
For years, Google has insisted that it never shows personalized ads based on the content of Gmail, Google Drive, or Google Photos. Yet Ars Technica and, as reported by Android Authority, Google quietly changed its privacy policy on October 16. The edit opens a possible back door in that data firewall.
If users turn on Personal Intelligence, which launched earlier this year, and connect it to AI Mode search with sponsored ads, summaries drawn from private mail, files, and photos could indirectly shape ad targeting.
What the Policy Now Says
The change sits in the Ad personalization section. Google added a key exception to its absolute promise.
- Before: Google would not show personalized ads based on what is in your Drive, Gmail, or Photos.
- After: the same promise, unless you choose to make data from those services available to other Google services that support personalized ads. One example is turning on connected content apps in Search.
How Personal Intelligence Creates the Gap
The change maps directly onto Personal Intelligence, a cross-app feature that Google launched earlier this year.
Data Linked Across Apps
The feature lets Google’s AI read data in Gmail, such as flight and hotel bookings, plus documents in Drive and photos in Google Photos. With that context, it gives more personal answers.
AI Mode as the Ad Channel
The standalone Gemini app has no ads today. Google Search AI Mode, however, connects to Personal Intelligence and already shows sponsored content. When a user asks AI Mode a question with the feature on, insights drawn from Gmail or Photos can influence the answer. The same response context then helps match search ads. In this way, private data becomes an indirect part of ad delivery.
Google’s Response
A Google spokesperson told Ars Technica that connecting apps is strictly opt-in. Ads will continue to relate to search terms, the context of the response, and user interests. Google says ads are not built directly on the Gmail inbox or photo library. It also says sensitive information, including race, religion, and health, never tailors ads.
Google stresses that it does not scan a whole mailbox to build a long-term ad profile. It also does not hand raw data to third-party advertisers. Even so, the outlets point out that this explanation in effect admits that context generated from private data can affect ads.
The AI Training Problem
A similar gap exists in AI training. Google says it does not train AI on private files. It does train on user prompts and AI outputs. Once Personal Intelligence links private data, those outputs can easily carry personal details. Google tries to filter personal information from activity records, but it admits it cannot guarantee a perfect result.
How to Turn Off Personal Intelligence
Google has often used pop-ups to nudge users to enable the feature. To keep Gmail, Drive, and Photos content out of AI search ads, use either path below.
Quick Route Through Gemini
Open the Gemini app or website. Go to Settings, then Personal Intelligence, and switch off every connected app.
Deeper Route Through Your Google Account
Go to Google Account settings, then Data and privacy, then Personalization. Open the option to manage personalized recommendations in Search, and then Connected content apps. Turn off the links for Google Workspace, which includes Gmail and Drive, and for Google Photos.
Afterward, visit Google My Activity and delete saved search activity by hand.
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