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Is Your Gmail Data Being Used to Target You With Ads?

Google has updated its privacy policy to clarify how information shared with its AI services could be used to personalize advertisements. The revised policy, effective October 16, 2026, explains that users who connect services such as Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive to supported Google products may allow information from those services to be used under the receiving service’s applicable policies and settings. 

Google says it does not use content from Gmail, Drive, or Google Photos for personalized advertising by default. However, users who choose to share data from these services with other Google services that support personalized ads may change how that information can be used.

How Does Google’s Personal Intelligence Work?

Google's Personal Intelligence features are designed to make AI-powered services more useful by incorporating relevant personal context into responses.

When users connect supported applications, Gemini and Google Search can draw on authorized information to provide more tailored answers rather than generic responses. For example, connected emails or photos may help an AI assistant respond to a question that requires personal context.

However, users should understand that data access and advertising personalization are separate considerations. The implications depend on which services are connected, the permissions granted, and the applicable settings.

What Does Google Say About Advertiser Access?

Google's published guidance states that it does not sell users' personal information. It also says Gmail content is not scanned or read to select advertisements, and that content from Gmail, Drive, and Photos is not used for personalized ads by default.

Google additionally restricts personalized advertising based on sensitive interest categories, including health, religion, race, and sexual orientation. These protections do not mean that every type of advertising or data processing is identical across all Google services. https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6603

How to Review or Disable Personalization

Users who want greater control over their personal information can take the following steps:

  • Review connected apps: Check which Google content apps are connected to Search or other AI services.
  • Disconnect unnecessary integrations: Remove access to Gmail, Google Photos, or other supported apps if you do not want them used for personalized AI experiences.
  • Review Search personalization: Visit Google's Search personalization settings and review the available controls.
  • Check advertising preferences: Visit Google's My Ad Center to manage personalized advertising preferences.

Turning off personalization may affect tailored results and recommendations. It does not necessarily delete information already stored in your Google Account or disable every form of advertising.

The Takeaway

AI-powered personalization can make digital services more convenient, but connecting personal accounts also raises important questions about data access and privacy.

Before enabling these features, users should understand what information they are sharing, which services can access it, and how it may be processed. Reviewing permissions and privacy settings regularly is a simple but important step toward maintaining greater control over personal data.

At iSecly, we believe that informed decisions are a critical part of cybersecurity. Understanding how AI services handle personal information is an essential step toward protecting your digital privacy.

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