Google Now Lets Gmail and Photos Data Shape AI Mode Ads

Google's updated privacy policy, effective October 16, allows content from Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive to influence personalized ads when users connect those apps to other Google services, according to gHacks. The change applies mainly to searchers who opt into Personal Intelligence in Gemini and AI Mode in Search, and Google has already started testing AI Mode ads for Personal Intelligence users.

What changed in the privacy policy?

For years, Google's privacy policy stated the company does not show personalized ads based on content from Drive, Gmail, or Photos. Google scanned free Gmail accounts to target ads until 2017, when it ended the practice. The revised policy keeps that statement but adds an exception: "…unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads." A new passage explains users can give Search or Gemini Apps access to information from other Google apps, and how that information is used depends on the settings and policies of the accessing service. Google specifically says Search may use some of it to personalize content, including ads.

How does Personal Intelligence shape AI Mode ads?

Personal Intelligence is an opt-in feature that lets Gemini and AI Mode pull context from connected apps. Google launched it in January 2026 as a Labs experiment in English in the U.S., for Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers on personal Google accounts. Workspace business, enterprise, and education accounts are excluded. Users can connect Gmail and Google Photos through personal accounts. Robby Stein, VP of Product for Google Search, described the retail use case in Google's January announcement: "Personal Intelligence can also be particularly helpful for shopping, because AI Mode considers the types of items you buy and where you shop. If you need a new coat for your upcoming trip, AI Mode could automatically take into account the brands you prefer, as well as your flight confirmation in Gmail to identify the destination and timing (Chicago in March). You'll get suggestions for windproof, versatile coats that fit the weather and your preferred look. It's like a personal shopper who already knows your itinerary and the vibe you're going for." When Google expanded the feature in March, it said the Personal Intelligence experience would stay ad-free for now, while noting it expected ads to work in a similar way for connected users later. That later has arrived. Google's Search Help documentation, cited by The Keyword, states ads are not matched directly to the raw contents of an email or photo library. Search may instead reference summaries, excerpts, and inferences from connected sources to personalize the experience, and that same information may be used to show ads. Google's stated boundaries:

• No advertiser access to a user's connected Gmail inbox or Photos library.
• Sensitive categories — race, religion, sexual orientation, and health — remain excluded from personalized ads.
• Users can turn off personalized ads in My Ad Center, or disconnect apps via Search personalization settings and Connected Content Apps.

Turning off ad personalization in My Ad Center does not stop connected apps from feeding AI features; disconnecting the apps is the only way to remove Gmail and Photos from Personal Intelligence entirely. Google also says connected-app summaries, excerpts, and inferences may train its generative AI models, and a subset of data processed by AI Mode and Ask Maps is reviewed by humans.

What does this mean for advertisers?

There is no new targeting toggle or audience segment in Google Ads. Personal Intelligence sits entirely on the searcher's side, and Google has announced no new advertiser controls, targeting options, or dedicated reporting for the test. Connected-app inferences can influence which ads an opted-in user sees, but advertisers cannot directly target, segment, or bid on Gmail or Photos insights. Campaign eligibility follows existing AI Mode rules. Google named three eligible campaign types: Performance Max, Shopping, and Search campaigns using broad match, including AI Max for Search. Eligibility does not confirm a campaign has served ads to Personal Intelligence users, and Google has announced no separate eligibility requirements for the test. Reporting has two limits: no dedicated Personal Intelligence report shows when connected-app information influenced an impression, and AI Max's search term, asset, and landing page reports do not identify whether Gmail or Photos data contributed — and likely won't.

What is still unknown?

Google has not said when AI Mode ads for Personal Intelligence users will move beyond testing, or whether advertisers will get dedicated reporting or placement controls. It also remains unclear whether connected-app signals personalize ads only inside AI Mode or across other properties. The Keyword observed the help page answers the ad personalization question for "Search Services" as a whole — Google Search including AI Mode and Discover, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate, and News. Google is also replacing Web & App Activity and Search Personalization controls with two new settings, Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations, over the coming months. Advertisers should watch those settings closely; they will decide how much of this data Google can lawfully use next.