Google Revises Privacy Policy to Allow Personal Data in Ad Targeting

Effective October 16, Google has amended its privacy policy to permit the use of personal data from services such as Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive for the purpose of serving personalized advertisements. This modification to the company's terms of service introduces an exception to a longstanding commitment regarding the handling of user information.

The revision adds a qualifying clause to existing prohibitions, stating that the company will not use data from these specific services for personalized advertising unless the user chooses to make that data available to other Google services that support personalized ads. This change was first identified by the publication Android Authority.

This policy shift specifically affects users who have enabled the Personal Intelligence feature within Search tools and AI Mode. This feature is designed to provide more accurate responses and recommendations by accessing information from a user's connected accounts. Consequently, content from these services may now be utilized to inform the types of advertisements displayed to the user.

While the policy now permits this data usage, Google has maintained certain restrictions on how the information is applied. Advertisers are not granted access to the actual content within Drive, Gmail, or Photos, nor do they receive personally identifying details such as names or email addresses.

Furthermore, Google states that it will not target users with advertisements based on sensitive categories. These restricted classifications include race, sexual orientation, religion, and health status. The policy outlines that data processed from these services is used to personalize content, including advertisements.

The company's updated documentation provides a specific example of this mechanism in action. If a user allows Search to access data from other services, such as Gmail or Google Photos, that information can be used to personalize content, including ads. For instance, a user who searches for mountain bikes may subsequently see advertisements for sports equipment.

Users retain control over this data sharing through specific settings. Individuals can choose to disconnect specific applications from the Search Personal Intelligence features or disable Personalized Recommendations entirely. These controls are located on the Search Services Personalization settings page.