What changes in the text
The change revolves around a sentence in the ad personalization section. Previously the company stated plainly that personalized ads are not based on Drive, Gmail or Photos content. After the October 16 update, flagged by Android Authority and picked up by Ars Technica, that absolute wording gives way to conditional language: it opens the possibility that such data enters personalization when shared with other Google services.
The role of Personal Intelligence
The mechanism that makes this opening operational already exists and is called Personal Intelligence, launched by Google in early 2026. It allows the user to connect data from multiple applications to the company's artificial intelligence products, with the stated goal of obtaining more contextualized answers. The system powers the Gemini app but also features such as AI Overviews and the AI mode of search.
Because AI search can show sponsored content, and because data channeled through Personal Intelligence can contribute to those answers, the new policy effectively acknowledges that personal information can become an element of ad targeting. Ars Technica stresses that the ambiguous wording serves precisely this shift.
Google's position and the limits
Google rejects the more alarmist reading. In a statement to Ars Technica, a spokesperson says that the clarification does not change the handling of data toward advertising partners, that the company does not scan the entire inbox to build profiles and that no data is handed over to third parties. The same statement says that ads will not be based directly on the Gmail inbox or the Photos library and that sensitive information will not be used to tailor ads.
However, open points remain. The article notes that Personal Intelligence is voluntary, but is offered with invitations and pop-up windows that, according to the source, do not fully explain the consequences: the user may have activated it without realizing it. To deactivate it, one must go to Gemini settings or follow a convoluted path in the Google account settings, under Data & privacy, down to the management of connected apps, excluding Workspace and Google Photos. It is not clear, from the available material, what the actual practical scope of the change is, nor whether additional communications to users are planned.
