One Clause Shifts Ad Targeting for 25% of Google Users

Google modified its privacy policy to allow advertising to target users based on the contents of their personal files.

The change applies to the 25% of users who have enabled Personal Intelligence features in Search and AI Mode. These users connected their Gmail, Drive, or Photos accounts to these tools to receive tailored answers. The new terms state that this connection permits the sharing of data with services that support personalized ads.

Before this update, Google’s policy included a strict pledge not to use data from Drive, Gmail, or Photos for ad targeting. The revision adds a specific exception. The commitment now holds only unless the user chooses to make data available to other Google services that support personalized ads.

The policy text notes that services like Search or Gemini Apps may access data from Workspace apps and Photos. This access is intended to provide a more personalized experience. The terms specify that this personalization is subject to the policies and settings of the service accessing the data.

Google stated that advertisers do not receive direct access to the information in these accounts. Advertisers also do not see personally identifying details such as a user's name or email address. The company added that it will not display ads based on sensitive categories. These categories include race, sexual orientation, religion, or health.

The policy provides an example of how this targeting works in practice. If a user searches for mountain bikes, Google may use that activity to show ads for sports equipment on YouTube. This aligns with the broader description in the policy that personalized ads may be shown based on interests, activity, or content from Google services.

Users who want to prevent their personal data from influencing ad targeting have two options. They can disconnect specific apps from Search's Personal Intelligence features. Alternatively, they can turn off Personalized Recommendations entirely through the Search Services Personalization settings page.