Google's privacy policy now lets connected Gmail data shape ads

Google updated its privacy policy on October 16, 2026, and one sentence in it concerns your inbox. The previous version from October 12 stated without qualification that Google does not show personalized ads based on content from Drive, Gmail or Photos. The current version adds an exception. Google now writes that this applies "unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads." The policy names Search as an example and says it may process that data to personalize content, including ads.

How email content reaches ad targeting

The exception is worded broadly, but the only concrete route Google currently describes is Personal Intelligence. The feature connects Gmail and Google Photos to Search so that AI Mode can tailor its answers, for example by suggesting restaurants based on past reservations found in your email. On the related help page, Google says ads will not be based directly on your Gmail inbox or Photos library. Search may still use summaries, excerpts and inferences from those sources, and Google adds: "That same info may be used to show you ads, so they are even more helpful for you." Advertisers do not get access to Gmail or Photos, according to Google. Sensitive categories such as health, religion or sexual orientation remain excluded from ad personalization.

The change is already being put to use. A Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land that the company has started testing ads in AI Mode for users who connected their apps through Personal Intelligence. German data protection authorities warned about similar ad profiles built from ChatGPT chats earlier this month.

Training and human reviewers are part of the deal

Ads are not the only use. According to the help page, connecting the apps also lets Google use those summaries and inferences to train generative AI models. A subset goes to human reviewers, including trained service providers. Google states that for a short or particularly relevant email, the summary may simply be the email itself. Disconnecting the apps later does not remove data already saved in your Search history. That data can still be used for training until you delete it at activity.google.com.

Not available in Europe for now

Google limits app connections to users aged 18 and over in a list of supported countries. The list covers the US and large parts of Latin America, Asia and Africa. It contains no EU member state, and the UK and Switzerland are missing as well. Google followed the same approach when Gemini in Android Auto gained access to Gmail. The exception itself is part of the same global privacy policy. It would only matter in Europe once Google launches the feature there.

A second change this week follows a similar pattern. Since October 23, Gemini Notebook works as a connected app inside the Gemini chat. It is on by default worldwide but stays off in the European Economic Area until users turn it on.

Where to check the connection

In supported countries, the setting is under Search Services Personalization in your Google Account. Google Workspace and Google Photos can be disconnected separately there. Personalized ads are managed on their own in My Ad Center. For sensitive material, Google's help page gives this advice: "Please don't connect your Google content apps if they contain personal or confidential information that you wouldn't want to be used for training generative AI models." Our guide explains how to opt out of AI training at Google, OpenAI and Meta.

I write about IT security and artificial intelligence. Cybersecurity is one of my regular topics, among others for Golem.de. At Notebookcheck, my focus is on practical AI for everyday users. I have worked hands-on with AI for years, most recently with a focus on AI agents and their use in everyday work, and I test tools and models myself rather than just reading about them.