Google Ad Policy: Personal Files Now Target Ads

Google altered its privacy rules on October 16 to permit ad targeting based on the contents of user files in Gmail, Drive, and Google Photos. The change creates an exception to the company's previous promise not to use data from these specific services for personalized advertising.

The policy revision affects users who have connected their accounts to AI Mode and other Search tools via the Personal Intelligence feature. This connection allows Google's tools to access a person's content to provide tailored answers. Under the new terms, that same data sharing also enables advertisers to target users based on their file contents.

Before the update, the policy stated plainly that Google would not use Drive, Gmail, or Photos data for ads. Since October 16, the text includes a qualifier. The commitment to not use the data holds unless a user chooses to make that data available to other Google services that support personalized ads.

Google stated that advertisers do not receive direct access to a user's files or personally identifying details like names and email addresses. The company also said it will not show ads based on sensitive categories such as race, sexual orientation, religion, or health.

The updated policy text explains that users may allow services like Search or Gemini Apps to reach data from other products. This access is intended to provide a more personalized experience. The document notes that Search may process permitted data to personalize content, including the ads a user sees.

The policy describes how this personalization works in practice. It states that Google may show personalized ads based on a user's interests, activity, or personalized content from its services. An example in the text suggests that a user searching for mountain bikes might later see ads for sports equipment on YouTube.

Users who wish to keep their personal data out of ad targeting have two main options. They can disconnect specific apps from Search's Personal Intelligence features. Alternatively, they can switch off Personalized Recommendations entirely through the Search Services Personalization settings page.