Trending
Prev Story
Next Story

Now Google says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos data to target ads

The Verge •
October 23, 2026 • 04:52 PM
• By Jess Weatherbed
1
1 reads 0 reactions

According to the new terms, sharing your data for better AI recommendations also means opening it up for more personalized ads.

Now Google says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos data to target ads

According to the new terms, sharing your data for better AI recommendations also means opening it up for more personalized ads.

According to the new terms, sharing your data for better AI recommendations also means opening it up for more personalized ads.

That means anyone who has connected their Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos to AI Mode and other Search tools via Google’s Personal Intelligence feature — allowing those tools to provide better responses or recommendations by knowing more about you — may now see ads targeted on the basis of that content.

Advertisers don’t get access to your Drive, Gmail, and Photos information or personally identifying details such as your name or email address, and Google won’t show you ads based on sensitive categories like race, sexual orientation, religion, or health.

“You may choose to allow certain Google services, including services like Search or Gemini Apps, to access data from other Google services you use, such as Google Photos and Workspace apps like Gmail and Drive, in order to provide you with a more personalized experience, subject to the policies and settings of the accessing service. For example, Search may process some of the data that you allow Search to access to personalize content, including ads.”

“Depending on your settings, we may also show you personalized ads based on your interests, activity, or personalized content from Google services. For example, if you search for ‘mountain bikes,’ in Search you may see ads for sports equipment on YouTube.”

If you want to prevent your personal data from being used for targeted ads, you can choose which apps you want to disconnect from Search’s Personal Intelligence features or disable Personalized Recommendations entirely via the Search Services Personalization settings page.

This is the title for the native ad

This is the title for the native ad

Prev Swipe Story Next

Same Story from Other Publications

Compare how 6 other independent news outlets reported on this story.

6 Publications
The Next Web (TNW)
3d ago
Adobe and Google partnership brings Acrobat to Gmail and Drive

Adobe and Google partnership brings Acrobat to Gmail and Drive

‘Google’s frontier AI’ meets Photoshop: the Adobe and Google partnership adds Acrobat to Gmail and Drive and Adobe tools to Gemini.

#gmail #google
Compare →
The Age
4d ago
Teens could be locked out of Gmail under safety bill, Google warns

Teens could be locked out of Gmail under safety bill, Google warns

A section aimed at keeping children from porn could reach Gmail, the tech giant has told senators.

#gmail #google
Compare →
The Australian Financial Review (AFR)
4d ago
Google warns it may scan Gmail, Drive to stop teens seeing porn

Google warns it may scan Gmail, Drive to stop teens seeing porn

A senior YouTube policy official has agreed Google may need to start proactively scanning Australian Gmail and Google Drive files to stop teens watching porn.

#gmail #google
Compare →
NPR News
7h ago
Why is Google cutting off Search from AI-free schools? Here are some theories

Why is Google cutting off Search from AI-free schools? Here are some theories

The forthcoming move has left some parents and educators frustrated and wondering about the company's motivations.

CNBC World
20h ago
Microsoft outage hits Outlook. AWS and Google users also report issues

Microsoft outage hits Outlook. AWS and Google users also report issues

Amazon Web Services and Google users also reported outages on Thursday

TechCrunch
21h ago
Google's latest Search upgrade promises better answers to your most complicated questions | TechCrunch

Google's latest Search upgrade promises better answers to your most complicated questions | TechCrunch

Powered by Gemini 4 Hydrogen, Google's AI Mode is getting better at understanding complex queries, surfacing relevant links, and delivering richer visual responses.

Related Stories

Technology
Build #2611