On October 16, 2026, Google modified its privacy terms to allow information stored in Gmail, Google Photos, and Drive to be used as a basis for displaying personalized ads if the user connects these applications to its search and artificial intelligence services. The update, initially identified by Android Authority, introduces a direct exception to the company's previous restriction on using these personal repositories for advertising.
The previous version of the document explicitly guaranteed that content from these office and storage tools was not processed for commercial ad targeting. With the new wording, the tech company specifies that this restriction is void if the account holder chooses to share records from those services with other platforms in the Google ecosystem that support targeted ads, such as the web search engine or the Gemini assistant.
The linking mechanism via Personal Intelligence
The technical bridge between personal files and the advertising system is supported by Personal Intelligence, a capability introduced by Google in January 2026 within Gemini. This system links platforms like Drive, Gmail, Photos, and YouTube to cross-reference the user's chat history with their documents to provide more precise contextual responses within the AI search mode.
According to the revised policy, Google's search engine processes information from linked applications to adjust the content offered, which includes advertising patterns. By default, the company does not use these files to profile ads, but the authorization granted to power the artificial intelligence acts as simultaneous consent for the data to serve as a signal for commercial algorithms.
Access limits and geographic restrictions
Google states in its documentation that third-party advertisers do not have access to users' emails, images, or Drive files at any time, nor do they receive personally identifiable information such as names or email addresses. The company adds that it does not create advertising profiles based on sensitive information, which includes religious affiliation, racial origin, sexual orientation, or health history.
Currently, the Personal Intelligence tool is available as a preliminary test version for eligible users over 18 globally, although Google has excluded the European Economic Area, the UK, Switzerland, and Nigeria from its launch.
Disconnection options and commercial pressure in the AI sector
Users who maintain access to the feature and reject the advertising use of their files must manage permissions manually. The company allows users to unlink individual applications from Personal Intelligence settings or cancel personalized recommendations entirely by accessing the personalization settings page for the company's search services.
Google's strategy shift coincides with the direct monetization deployed by other artificial intelligence players. OpenAI introduced ads in January 2026 for registered adult users in the United States in its free and ChatGPT Go modes, and in October 2026, it expanded this advertising to 26 additional territories, reaching 89 countries, including fourteen Latin American markets and various regions in Europe, Africa, and Asia, under the premise of not selling information to advertisers or altering model responses.
