Google Updates Privacy Policy to Allow Ad Targeting From Connected Gmail and Photos Data

Google $GOOGL updated its privacy policy to clarify that information shared through its Personal Intelligence feature from connected apps, including Gmail and Google Photos, could be used to personalize advertisements. While Google states that content from Gmail, Drive, and Photos is not used for targeted advertising by default, an exception applies when users explicitly connect that information to eligible Google services that offer personalized ads, such as Google Search and Gemini.

Google maintains that it does not automatically scan private emails and photos to serve ads and does not disclose personally identifying details, such as names or email addresses, to advertisers without user permission. Users can prevent Google Search from accessing connected content by disconnecting Google Workspace and Google Photos under the Additional Personal Intelligence settings, or by disabling Personalized Recommendations entirely. However, disconnecting a connected app or deleting the original email or photo does not necessarily erase information Google has already saved, as previously collected data may remain stored in Search Services History.