Updated Google privacy policy says your Gmail might be used for advertising
Turning on Personal Intelligence gives the company more data for ad targeting.
Turning on Personal Intelligence gives the company more data for ad targeting.
The short version
- This equivocation opens the door to using data from apps like Gmail and Photos in ads when it’s shared with other Google services, and it just so happens Google has a mechanism for doing that, with Personal Intelligence.
- The company released Personal Intelligence in early 2026 , allowing users to hand data from multiple apps to Google AI products.
- The idea is that the added context from your existing data will lead to better AI answers, but it’s also proving to be a privacy minefield.
What happened
According to Google, this clarification still doesn’t mean ads are “based directly” on your personal data. Here’s the company’s full statement: “Connecting your apps is entirely opt-in.
Why it matters
Ads will continue to be relevant to things like your query, the context of the response and your interests.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.