Google’s new Privacy Policy is trying to bite your Ass

Google has revised its privacy-policy language in a way that could let information from Gmail, Google Drive and Photos influence personalized advertising when users connect those apps to other Google services. The change highlights a broader privacy issue: data shared to make AI tools more helpful may also shape the ads people see.

The previous policy said Google did not personalize ads based on content from Drive, Gmail or Photos. The revised wording introduces an exception for information users choose to share with other Google services that support personalized advertising. That matters as Google expands Personal Intelligence, which can draw on connected apps to give Gemini and Search more context. 

For example, a search or AI feature might use details from an email or photo to tailor a response. The privacy concern is that information derived from that interaction could also contribute to ad personalization. A person’s bookings, interests, relationships or routines may help make an answer more relevant but those same signals can also make ads more closely targeted.

Google says connecting apps is optional and says ads are not based directly on a user’s Gmail inbox or Photos library. The company also says sensitive information will not be used to tailor ads. That distinction is important: the policy change does not mean every user’s inbox is automatically being used for advertising. The potential change applies when someone connects data to eligible services and that information is shared with them. Android Authority

Still, the distinction may not reassure everyone. “Not based directly” leaves room for information summarized or inferred from connected data to affect recommendations or advertising. It also makes the boundary between using personal information to answer a question and using it to select ads less clear. For users, the central issue is not just whether an email is read in isolation, but what information can flow between services once accounts are linked.

People who want to limit that flow can review which apps are connected to Personal Intelligence and disconnect Gmail/Google Workspace or Photos if they do not want those services used for personalization. Google’s settings also provide controls for personalized recommendations in Search. Disconnecting an app may not erase information already saved in activity history, so users concerned about past sharing should review and manage that history as well. 

Protect your identity with Mynymbox

At Mynymbox, we help people reduce the personal information exposed through public domain-registration records. Where supported, Mynymbox can serve as the registrant of record, so our details (not yours) appear publicly. You retain the right to use and transfer your domain. Availability depends on the domain ending.

This can help protect your identity when registering and managing a website, but it won’t change how Google handles information in Gmail, Photos, or connected apps. To limit that data’s use for personalization, review your Google app connections and account settings too. Privacy works best in layers: protect the information tied to your domain, and make deliberate choices about what you share with online services.