Google lets connected Gmail and Photos data shape AI Mode ads
Google has changed its privacy policy so that content from Gmail, Google Photos and Google Drive can inform personalised advertising when users link those apps to other Google services. The revision took effect on 16 October and applies mainly to people who opt into Personal Intelligence in Gemini and AI Mode in Search.
The policy keeps the long-standing line that Google does not serve personalised ads from Drive, Gmail or Photos content, then adds an exception for users who make that data available to Google services that support personalised ads. Search may use the shared information to personalise content, ads included. Google is also testing ads inside AI Mode for users with Personal Intelligence switched on.
Google says ads are not matched to the raw contents of an email or photo library. Its help documentation states that Search may draw on summaries, excerpts and inferences from connected sources, and that the same material may inform ad delivery. Turning off ad personalisation in My Ad Center does not stop connected apps feeding AI features, so disconnecting the apps is the only way to remove them.
Advertisers get no new controls. There is no targeting toggle, audience segment or dedicated reporting for the test, and campaign eligibility follows the existing rules for AI Mode ads: Performance Max, Shopping, and Search campaigns on broad match, including AI Max for Search. Connected-app signals can therefore shape which ads an opted-in searcher sees without advertisers being able to target or measure them directly.
Reported by Search Engine Journal ↗
Topics: AI Mode, AI advertising, Search policy