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Google Updates Privacy Policy to Allow Gmail and Photos Data for Ads

Updated 2:17 AM ET · 5:21 PM ETConfirmed

Technology Desk

In Short: Google has updated its privacy policy to allow personalized ads based on data from Gmail, Drive, and Photos, a change that went into effect on October 16, 2026.

Google has updated its privacy policy to allow personalized ads based on data from Gmail, Drive, and Photos, a change that went into effect on October 16, 2026. The update reflects a shift from the previous policy, which explicitly stated that personalized ads were not based on content from these services.

Previously, Google's privacy policy specifically stated that personalized ads were not based on content from Drive, Gmail, or Photos. However, the new policy now includes an exception, allowing ads to be personalized based on data from these services if users choose to make that data available to other Google services that support personalized ads.

According to Google, the new policy does not mean that ads are directly based on personal data from Gmail, Drive, or Photos. Instead, it clarifies that ads can be personalized based on data that users allow to be shared between Google services.

Google's privacy policy update adds a conditional clause to its longstanding pledge not to use data from Drive, Gmail, or Photos for ad personalization. The new policy states, “We don’t show you personalized ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos, unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.”

The update also introduces a new feature called Personal Intelligence, which allows users to connect their Gmail, Photos, and other Google services to provide a more personalized experience. However, this feature remains opt-in, and users cannot opt out of personalized ads by disabling Personal Intelligence.

Google maintains that advertisers will not be able to see personally identifying details, including names and email addresses, without user permission. The company also states that ads will not be based on sensitive categories such as race, sexual orientation, religion, or health.

The policy change was first reported by Android Authority and later covered by multiple outlets. Google spokespersons have emphasized that connecting apps is entirely opt-in and that ads will not be based directly on users’ Gmail inboxes or Photos libraries.

The update was effective as of October 16, 2026, and the policy archive shows that the new wording rewrites three sentences in the policy's advertising section and adds a new explanatory note.

Google's privacy policy update also clarifies that ads may be personalized based on a user's interests, activity, or personalized content from Google services. For example, if a user searches for 'mountain bikes,' they may see ads for sports equipment on YouTube.

The policy change does not mean that every Gmail account will automatically become part of this process. Users must opt-in to share data between services for personalized ads to be based on that data.

Google's policy update reflects a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are increasingly using user data to personalize ads and improve AI-driven services. However, this shift has raised concerns about data privacy and user control over personal information.

The update also comes amid increased scrutiny of tech companies' data practices. For example, New Mexico's attorney general had sued Meta in 2021 following revelations that Cambridge Analytica had harvested personal data from as many as 87 million Facebook users through a third-party app.

What this adds

What's confirmed

• Previously, the policy specifically stated that personalized ads were not “based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Photos,” but following this change, the sentence no longer stops there.
• For example, Search may process some of the data that you allow Search to access to personalize content, including ads.
• As spotted by Android Authority (via The Verge ), Google’s new privacy policy update — which went into effect one week ago on October 16th — adds new language surrounding how the company uses data from Gmail, Drive, and Photos to target ads.
• Google makes an exception to its privacy policy that could affect the ads you see.
• The policy states, “We don’t show you personalized ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos, unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads”.
• You may choose to allow certain Google services, including services like Search or Gemini Apps, to access data from other Google services you use, such as Google Photos and Workspace apps like Gmail and Drive, in order to provide you with a more personalized experience, subject to the policies and settings of the accessing service.
• Turning off personalized recommendations has to do with targeted ads?
• A privacy policy update effective October 16, 2026, introduces an exception allowing data from Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos to inform personalized advertising when users choose to make that information available to other Google services that support ads.
• News of the policy update was first reported by Android Authority.
• It also said ads based on sensitive categories, including race, sexual orientation, religion and health, would not be shown.
• Google has updated its privacy policy to clarify that users who have opted into its personalised AI features, will see targeted ads based on their personal data.
• The updated version retains that protection but adds an exception for users who choose to make data from these services available to other Google products that support personalized advertising.

What's still developing

• To do so, head to Data & privacy under your My Account page, selection Personalization settings, then select Manage Personalized Recommendations in Search services.
• Google’s policy archive shows earlier versions with date ranges ending in October 2026, which suggests the October 16 text replaced a version in force since October 1.
• New Mexico's lawsuit argued that Facebook generally misled consumers about its data privacy practices, as well as its efforts to moderate misinformation and hate speech.
• Civic Information, Emerging Technologies, Information Distribution, Policy & Impact By: Kyla Fullenwider, Shorenstein Center Entrepreneurship Fellow Greg Fischer, Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky Our democratic institutions have never been more important or more vulnerable, and the United States Census is no exception.
• New Mexico state prosecutors successfully argued that the state’s entire population of roughly two million people was impacted by Meta’s deceptive assurances that private data was never shared with third parties.
• The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised its short-term interest-rate target to 1.25% from 1.00% in a 7-2 vote, marking another step in the normalisation of monetary policy and widely matching what everyone has been expecting for weeks.
• Rising energy costs have intensified inflation concerns, placing greater pressure on the Fed to tighten monetary policy.
• A judge in New Mexico ordered Meta Platforms to pay $25 billion on Wednesday after a jury found the company had misled consumers in a case arising from allegations that a political consulting firm involved in Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign obtained data from ‌millions of Facebook users without their consent.
• State law allows a penalty of up to $5,000 per violation, and directs that all of the money go to New Mexico's school system, Torrez told reporters after the verdict.
• They said the company had committed more than 43 million violations of New Mexico’s consumer protection laws, based on the number of Facebook users or New Mexico residents who were the audience for each misleading statement.
• Our work provides timely, data-driven research and analysis on a broad range of critical domestic and international policy issues.
• This capacity allows it to tackle complex tasks such as drafting detailed technical documentation or performing comprehensive data analyses.

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