For almost a decade, Google has told users one simple thing: it does not read your Gmail to sell you ads. That promise now comes with an asterisk, and it is tied to the AI features Google has been nudging people to switch on all year.
Google updated its privacy policy on October 16 so that Search may use data you let it access, including information from Gmail, Google Photos and Calendar connected through a feature called Personal Intelligence, “to personalize content, including ads.” The change was first spotted by Techlicious and has since been picked up by The Verge, Ars Technica, 9to5Google, Android Authority and Indian outlets including The Times of India and Moneycontrol.
Quick Facts
- Who: Google, and users who connect Gmail, Photos or Calendar to Search via Personal Intelligence
- What: A privacy policy exception that lets connected app data shape personalised content, including ads
- When: Policy updated October 16, 2026; widely reported October 23–24
- Where: Google Search, including AI Mode
- Key point: Google says ads will not be based “directly” on your inbox or photo library, but summaries and inferences from them can be used
What Changed in Google’s Privacy Policy
The old line is still there. Google’s policy continues to say it does not show personalised ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail or Photos.
What is new is the exception. According to Techlicious, the policy now carves out people who choose to make that data available to other Google services that support personalised ads. In practice, that means Search.
So if you have never linked Gmail or Photos to Search, nothing about your inbox has changed. If you have, the picture is different.
How Personal Intelligence Uses Your Gmail and Photos
Personal Intelligence is an opt-in feature that lets AI Mode and other Search tools pull from your emails, photos and calendar to give more tailored answers. Google introduced it in January and opened it to all US users in March, Fast Company reported.
Google’s own example is a trip. AI Mode can find your hotel booking and flight itinerary in Gmail, spot restaurants you have visited in your photos, and then suggest places to eat near your hotel. Useful, no doubt. But it also means Search now holds a fairly detailed picture of your plans and habits.
Here is the fine print Google has shared, as reported by Techlicious:
- Ads won’t come “directly” from your Gmail inbox or Photos library, but summaries, excerpts and inferences drawn from them can be used.
- Advertisers do not get access to your connected Gmail or Photos.
- No personalised ads based on sensitive categories such as religion, race, sexual orientation or health.
- Search does not train its AI models directly on your inbox or photos, but it does train on summaries and inferences. If an email is short, the summary can be the whole thing.
- A small portion of connected app data may be reviewed by people, including outside contractors, usually after personal details are reduced.
Separately, Google has told Search Engine Land that it is starting to test ads in AI Mode for users who connect their apps through Personal Intelligence, according to industry reports. Google has not said which markets that test covers.
Why the Gmail Ads Change Matters
Google stopped scanning Gmail for ad targeting back in 2017, and that promise became a big part of why people trust the service with bank alerts, OTP mails, medical reports and job offers. This update does not reverse that rule outright, but it opens a side door through AI.
Think of it this way. Google may not show you a hotel ad because it read your booking email. But if Search has built a note that says “this person is travelling to Goa next month,” that inference can now count as fair game for personalisation.
Privacy groups have raised concerns before. Back in July, the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Lena Cohen told Fast Company that users deserve more transparency about how this data is used. Critics have also pointed out that Google has promoted Personal Intelligence through pop-ups in the Gemini app, so some people may have switched it on without reading the details.
Does This Affect Google Users in India?
Partly, and this is where things get murky. Google brought Personal Intelligence to the Gemini app in India on April 14, initially for paid Google AI subscribers, TechCrunch reported. The privacy policy wording, however, is about Search services.
Google has not clearly said whether the Search version of Personal Intelligence, or the AI Mode ads test, is live for Indian accounts. Google’s privacy policy is a single global document, so the safest assumption is that the exception applies wherever the connected feature is available to you.
What We Don’t Know Yet
- Which countries and ad formats are part of the AI Mode ads test.
- Whether Indian users of Search can already connect Gmail and Photos through Personal Intelligence.
- How long inferences drawn from your emails are kept for ad purposes.
What This Means for You: How to Opt Out
If you are not comfortable with this, a few settings matter. Here is what Techlicious recommends:
- Disconnect apps from Search: Go to Search Services Personalization, then Additional Personal Intelligence, then Connected Content Apps, and disconnect Google Workspace and Google Photos.
- Turn off personalised ads: Open My Ad Center and switch off personalised ads. Note this may not stop the data being used for AI personalisation.
- Delete what’s already collected: Disconnecting does not erase past data. Clear your Search activity at activity.google.com.
- Check Gmail smart features: In Gmail, go to Settings, See all settings, General, and review “Google Workspace smart features.”
You can read the full wording yourself on Google’s privacy policy page.
Our Take
Google is being technically honest here: it is not reading your inbox to pick ads. But “we use summaries and inferences instead” is a thin line for most people. If an AI feature asks for your email and photos, the trade is now clearer than before. You get smarter answers, and Google gets a sharper ad profile. Switch it on only if that deal feels fair to you.
FAQs
Is Google reading my Gmail to show ads?
Not directly, according to Google. But if you connect Gmail to Search through Personal Intelligence, summaries and inferences from your emails can be used to personalise ads.
When did Google change its privacy policy?
The updated privacy policy is dated October 16, 2026, and the change was widely reported on October 23 and 24.
Does this apply if I never turned on Personal Intelligence?
No. Personal Intelligence is opt-in, and the exception only covers data you choose to connect to Search.
Can advertisers see my emails or photos?
Google says advertisers do not get access to connected Gmail or Photos data.
How do I stop Google using my Gmail data for ads?
Disconnect Gmail and Photos under Search Services Personalization, turn off personalised ads in My Ad Center, and delete past activity at activity.google.com.
Based on reporting by Techlicious, Fast Company, TechCrunch, The Verge and Ars Technica.
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