Google has removed a specific clause from its privacy policy that previously prohibited the use of Gmail, Drive, and Photos content for personalized advertising. The change, identified by Android Authority, replaces an explicit data barrier with more ambiguous language regarding when sensitive information might inform ad targeting.
The previous policy text stated clearly: "We don’t show you personalized ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Photos." The updated document no longer includes this direct limitation. Instead, the new language allows for the possibility that data from these applications could be used for ads if it is shared with other Google services.
This shift aligns with the rollout of Personal Intelligence, a feature Google released in early 2026. The tool allows users to connect data from multiple applications to Google AI products, intended to provide better context for AI answers. However, this mechanism also creates a pathway for cross-service data sharing that the updated privacy policy now permits for advertising purposes.
The revision effectively dismantles the firewall that Google had maintained between its core productivity and storage apps and its advertising infrastructure. While the company has long claimed it would not use sensitive data from these specific products for ad personalization, the policy update introduces an exception based on data sharing across the ecosystem.