If you are someone who linked your Gmail, Drive and Photos data to the Google AI, you might see personalised ads. Google has updated its policy, first reported by Android Authority, includes an exception to Google’s earlier assurance that it would not use information from these services for personalised advertising.
This revised wording was added on October 16, 2026, and it says this restriction does not apply “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalised ads.” This simply means that Google Search may eventually use information connected services to personalise the content and advertisements users see, depending on their settings and the permissions they have granted.
How Google’s Privacy Policy Has Changed
The American tech giant’s previous policy highlighted how the company would not use information from Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos for personalised ads. This updated wording introduces an exception for situations where you may share data from these services with other Google products that support personalised ads.
Google’s policy explains how information shared between its services may be used. “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. For example, Search may process some of the data that you allow Search to access to personalize content, including ads.”
In simple words, if users permit Google Search to access information from their Gmail, Drive or Photos accounts, that information could help the company personalise advertisements, along with other content and recommendations.
How To Stop Google From Using Connected Data For Personalised Ads
Users who do not want their connected Google services to contribute to personalised recommendations and advertising can review their personalisation settings. You can just choose which apps to disconnect from Search’s Personal Intelligence features or disable Personalised Recommendations entirely through Google’s Search Services Personalisation settings page.
Reviewing these controls can help users decide how much information they want to share between Google’s services and how that information may be used to personalise their experience.
