Google's privacy policy reportedly allows Gmail, Drive and Photos data shared with other Google services supporting personalized ads to inform ads

Google's updated privacy policy includes an exception that could let information users choose to share from Gmail, Drive and Photos influence personalized ads, Android Authority's Shimul Sood reports. Sood writes that content in those apps remains excluded from ad personalization by default. The exception applies when users make the data available to Google services that support personalized ads.

Will Sattelberg of 9to5Google, which credits Android Authority with spotting the change, says it took effect Oct. 16, 2026. He quotes the added condition: “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.”

Another passage quoted by 9to5Google says users may allow services such as Search or Gemini Apps to access data from Photos and Workspace apps, including Gmail and Drive, subject to the accessing service's policies and settings. Its example says Search may process some of the data a user allows it to access to personalize content, including ads. Neither article documents a particular email, photo or Drive file determining an ad.