Google has updated its privacy policy to explicitly describe when content from connected Google apps can be made available for personalized advertising. The policy, effective October 16, 2026, is significant because it formalizes the connection between a user’s app permissions, Google’s Personal Intelligence features, and more tailored experiences in AI Mode and Gemini.

The change does not mean Google can automatically use the contents of everyone’s Gmail, Drive, or Photos for ad targeting. Google’s policy says it does not show personalized ads based on content from Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos unless a user chooses to make data from those services available to other Google services that support personalized ads .…