Google's new privacy policy lets connected Gmail and Photos data shape ads
Google's privacy policy, effective 16 October, says that if you let Search or other services read Gmail, Photos or Drive, that data can personalise content "including ads"; the previous version said Google did not show personalised ads based on content from those three. Google says ads may use summaries and inferences drawn from them, though not the inbox or photo library directly; the link is off unless you connect the apps, under Search Services Personalisation in your Google Account.
Sources
- Google · Privacy Policy, changes between 1 and 16 October 2026
- Google Search Help · Connect your Google content apps to Search services
Related
- US states sue OpenAI over chatbot safety and seek testing restrictions
- US orders federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek; the order does not cover the public
- Britain confirms testing of frontier AI; findings remain unpublished
- UK regulator secures AI data commitments and turns scrutiny to agents