Google Adds Gmail, Photos to Ad Targeting

Google's privacy policy says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos to target ads, a first for the company. The change took effect on October 16th, after Google promised not to use Drive, Gmail, or Photos for ads. Adds an exception: letting Search or Gemini Apps access Gmail, Drive, or Photos lets them personalize ads from that data. If you've enabled Personal Intelligence in Search or Gemini, Gmail and photo albums could help shape the ads you see. Advertisers won't get your Gmail or Photos data, nor name or email, and Google won't target you on sensitive categories. You can disconnect specific services or turn off personalized recommendations in Search's Personalization settings to stop this. So when you search 'mountain bikes,' you may see sports gear ads because Google read a bike ride photo.