Google updated its privacy policy, effective October 16, with a new exception: content from Gmail, Drive and Google Photos can help personalize ads if you choose to make that data available to other Google services that run personalized advertising. By default, Google still says it doesn’t use that content for ads. If you want to be sure, you can disconnect the apps in a few steps, shown below.
What changed in Google’s privacy policy?
The earlier wording said personalized ads were not “based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Photos.” The new text adds a caveat. According to 9to5Google, that holds “unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.”
In practice, the change is tied to Personal Intelligence, the feature Google began rolling out in beta earlier this year that lets Gemini draw on data from apps like Gmail, Photos, Search and Drive. As we explained in our piece on Gemini Personal Intelligence in Android Auto, the idea is that the assistant uses your own context to give more useful answers. 9to5Google says the feature remains opt-in for the time being.
How does it work in practice?
Android Authority gives a simple example: Google Search pulls a hotel reservation out of your Gmail to suggest restaurants nearby. The question the policy raises is whether that same information, which the service could reach because you allowed it, could also shape the ads you see.
Google says, per Android Authority, that it doesn’t automatically scan private emails and photos to serve ads, and that it doesn’t share identifying details such as your name or email address with advertisers without your permission. That part of the policy is unchanged. 9to5Google also notes that Google isn’t handing your inbox, files or photos over to advertisers.
Neither article says which regions the policy applies to, so we can’t say whether it works the same way for every country. Checking your own account settings is the safest move.
How do you disconnect Gmail and Photos from ads?
According to Android Authority and How-To Geek, here’s the path:
- Open your Google Account and go to Data & privacy.
- Under Personalization & activity, select Personalization settings.
- Choose Manage Personalized Recommendations in Search Services.
- Under Additional Personal Intelligence, open Connected Content apps.
- Disconnect Google Photos and Google Workspace.
Menu names can shift slightly with your language and app version, but the structure is the same. If you want a blunter fix, the same Search personalization page has a button to turn off Personalized Recommendations entirely.
Does that erase what Google already saved?
Not necessarily. Android Authority warns that disconnecting an app doesn’t by itself delete data Google has already stored. Information in your Search Services history may stay there even after you disconnect the app or delete the original email or photo. To clear it, you need to review your account’s activity history.
How-To Geek also points out that avoiding this use may cost you some features: Search will stop using things like Gmail reservations for suggestions. It’s the old trade-off between convenience and privacy.
Is it worth turning off?
It depends on how you use Google. If you don’t mind personalization and like an assistant that knows your schedule and trips, you can leave things as they are, knowing the feature is optional. If you keep sensitive items in Gmail and Photos, such as documents, medical records or receipts, disconnecting buys peace of mind and costs little.
How-To Geek mentions more drastic options, like using third-party apps to reach Gmail and other services without ads, or dropping as many Google services as possible, which means changing email addresses, exporting data and finding replacements. For most people, disconnecting the apps and reviewing the recommendations settings is enough.
Keep in mind that the policy is about personalized ads, not about selling your data. A good habit is to review these settings every time a new AI feature asks for access to your email or photos. If you want to try the assistant before deciding, see our guide to using Gemini on your phone and choose what to share.
