Google says AI Search can use Gmail and Photos data for targeted ads

Google updated its privacy policy effective Oct. 16, 2026. The company says AI-based search and chat features may use activity across connected services to serve targeted ads. Android Authority first reported the privacy policy update, according to The Hacker News. The change lets information from Gmail, Photos, and other services feed into advertising.

The updated policy creates an exception. The exception means Google avoids personalized ads built from Drive, Gmail, or Photos content unless users opt in to share that data with other Google services that support personalized ads. Google long said it would not use sensitive data from Gmail, Drive, and Photos for ad personalization. Ars Technica frames the update as dismantling that longstanding firewall around sensitive content in Google’s core apps.

Google unveiled Personal Intelligence in Gemini in January 2026. The feature lets users connect services such as Gmail, Google Photos, and YouTube so the system can give tailored answers that draw on chat history and preferences. Personal Intelligence links user data with the Gemini app and AI Mode search, creating a route for shared information to affect advertising.

A beta version of Personal Intelligence is available to users 18 and older in most parts of the world. The European Economic Area, Switzerland, the U.K., and Nigeria are excluded from the rollout. The feature lets Gemini pull information from several Google apps, among them Search and Drive along with Gmail and Photos.

With Personal Intelligence turned on, data from Gmail or Photos that helps shape answers in AI Mode or Gemini could also serve as a signal for targeted advertising. The connection works when users interact with AI-powered Google features while the service is enabled. The updated policy states that Search may process some of the data users allow it to access to personalize content, including ads. Search can draw on permitted data to shape both results and advertisements.

A user could allow an AI-powered Google service to access a hotel booking confirmation in Gmail to suggest nearby activities. Analytics Insight gives this as an example of how connected data might work in practice, where an AI service reads a Gmail booking confirmation to suggest local activities. The feature only applies when users enable particular service connections, so this scenario does not happen by default.

The update does not trigger automatic scanning of every Gmail inbox for ad purposes. Analytics Insight says the policy does not lead to automatic scanning of Gmail inboxes for ads. Google has not announced that every Gmail account will automatically join this process; it applies when users enable specific service connections.

Google says its updated wording does not treat personal data as the direct basis for ads. “Ads will not be based directly on your Gmail inbox or Photos library,” Google said. Google says advertisers cannot see personally identifying details, including name and e-mail address, without permission, and 9To5Google reports that this provision carried over from earlier policy versions. Google describes the updated language as a clarification.

The Gemini app carries no ads at present, although sponsored content can appear in AI search tools. Ars Technica points out that the Gemini app remains ad-free while AI search tools can show sponsored material, marking the boundary for advertising.

Disconnecting apps means Search will not use Gmail bookings to generate recommendations. Yahoo Tech frames this as a trade-off, warning that limiting data sharing could hobble existing features such as Search using Gmail booking confirmations to recommend nearby activities.

People can stop data sharing by unlinking apps from Personal Intelligence or switching off Personalized Recommendations through Search Services Personalization settings at www.google.com/search-personalization. The Hacker News explains that users can select which apps to disconnect from Personal Intelligence or turn off Personalized Recommendations entirely through that page. People can keep some connections active while removing others rather than shutting down the whole feature.

Turning off Personalized Recommendations entirely requires going through My Account, Data & privacy, Personalization settings, and Manage Personalized Recommendations in Search services. 9To5Google provides a path through the Google Account page to turn off Personalized Recommendations using a Turn off button located in the Personalization settings section. The button gives users a direct way to stop recommendations without leaving their account settings.

Google Photos and Google Workspace can be disconnected through the Additional Personal Intelligence section and Connected Content apps. Yahoo Tech outlines these steps as a way to disconnect specific apps from Google Search through Personal Intelligence settings. The settings give users control over which services share data with Search. Users can remove individual services without turning off the entire Personal Intelligence feature.

Users can reach some Google services without ads through third-party clients such as an e-mail app. Yahoo Tech suggests this route for users who want to keep Personal Intelligence integrations but avoid advertisements in Google’s own interfaces. Third-party apps offer a workaround for people who want the AI features without seeing ads in Google’s standard tools.

Users can review Personal Intelligence settings and manage connected apps in Gemini, and they can manage personalized recommendations and connected content for Search services. Analytics Insight advises users to review connected services through Personal Intelligence settings in Gemini and through Google Account personalization options. Regular reviews let users confirm which apps link to their account and adjust settings as needed.