A technology company that many people trust with their photographs, documents and correspondence has quietly widened the terms under which those private things can inform what it sells. Google's revised privacy policy, first noticed by Android Authority and examined by BGR, sits at the meeting point of two ambitions: a more capable AI assistant and a finely tuned advertising machine. The company insists it will not reach into Drive or Photos on its own, but once people grant its AI tools access to their files, the traces of ordinary life can become part of the picture used to decide which adve
Google's Updated Privacy Policy May Let Photos and Drive Data Shape Your Ads
Your actual files aren't handed to ad firms, but context still is
Mark
So what actually changed here?
Mimi
Google's privacy policy now suggests data from connected apps like Photos, Drive and Gmail can influence ad targeting, if you've given Gemini or search access to those files.
Mark
Does Google just read everything in Drive for ads?
Mimi
No. Google says it won't automatically pull from Drive or Photos. It's the opt-in that matters: once you grant access, that data becomes eligible.
Luke
Eligible is doing a lot of work there. Do we know that it's actually being used that way?
Mimi
Not from this piece. It says the data can potentially feed ad targeting. That's a description of what the policy permits, not proof of specific practice.
Mark
And the Gemini chats themselves?
Mimi
Not shared. But the contents of a document Gemini searched, and its metadata, can be.
Luke
The claim that metadata and context are being harvested for a more profitable profile is BGR's reading. I'd want Google's own detail on exactly what gets passed along.
Mark
Why does the Pixel come up?
Mimi
Gemini is built into the operating system there, and users get prompted to enable integrations. The worry is people clicking Agree without seeing the ad connection.
Luke
That's an argument about design and awareness, and it's reasonable, but it's the outlet's view, not a measured finding about how many users are confused.
Mark
So what can someone do today?
Mimi
Turn off Personalized Recommendations under Search Services, or disconnect apps under Connected content apps in Personal Intelligence.
The Pulse
- Google's updated privacy policy lets data from Photos, Drive and Gmail reach ad targeting once users grant Gemini or search access to those files.
- The change arrives as Gemini is pushed onto new phones and smart home devices, with prompts that many users may accept without reading the trade-off.
- Google frames the integration as optional and helpful, while BGR warns that a casual click on Agree could quietly open personal documents to advertising profiles.
- Chats with Gemini are not shared, but document contents and metadata may still shape a broader profile, and how the policy plays out in daily ad delivery remains unconfirmed.
- Users can now act: under Personalization settings, turn off Personalized Recommendations, and under Personal Intelligence, disconnect content apps they do not want linked.
A technology company that many people trust with their photographs, documents and correspondence has quietly widened the terms under which those private things can inform what it sells. Google's revised privacy policy, first noticed by Android Authority and examined by BGR, sits at the meeting point of two ambitions: a more capable AI assistant and a finely tuned advertising machine. The company insists it will not reach into Drive or Photos on its own, but once people grant its AI tools access to their files, the traces of ordinary life can become part of the picture used to decide which advertisements find them. It is a reminder that convenience and disclosure often arrive together, and that the choice to share is only as informed as the explanation that accompanies it.
Google has changed its privacy policy in a way that touches some of the most personal places people keep their digital lives. Photos, Drive, Gmail and other connected apps may now feed into the ads a person sees, depending on choices they make along the way. The update was first spotted by Android Authority, and it lands at a moment when Google is pushing its Gemini AI assistant hard, installing it on newer phones and smart home devices as it phases out the older Google Assistant.
Google says it will not automatically pull data from Drive or Photos for advertising. The exception comes when a person allows Gemini or Google search to reach into those files. Asking Gemini to read a spreadsheet, or searching for something personal one evening, can then send information into the wider ad-targeting system. The chat itself stays private, but the contents of the document may not.
BGR's concern is that this bargain is easy to miss. A prompt to find a flight or summarize a work file sounds harmless, and agreeing takes a single tap, especially on a new Pixel where Gemini is built in by default. Vacation photos and financial papers do not reach advertisers directly, but the context around them can still help build a more valuable profile of the person who owns them.
There is a way to pull back. In the Google Account's Data & Privacy section, Personalization settings allow turning off personalized recommendations, and the Personal Intelligence area lets people disconnect content apps one by one. The open question is how Google applies these rules in everyday ad targeting, which this analysis does not confirm. For now, the sensible step is to check which apps are linked to Gemini and decide whether the convenience is worth what it costs.
Google has changed its privacy policy, and the change touches some of the most personal places people keep their digital lives: Photos, Drive, Gmail and other connected apps. The update, first noticed by Android Authority, suggests the company can now use data from those connected services to sharpen the ads it shows you.
The update lands at a particular moment. For months Google has been promoting its Gemini AI model as a way to make life easier, with more specific answers, research help and streamlined tasks. The company has also rolled Gemini out to its newer smartphones and smart home devices, phasing out the long-running Google Assistant in the process.
Google's position is that it will not automatically pull data from Drive or Photos for advertising. The catch comes next. If you choose to give Google's AI tools and search features access to files in apps like Gmail, Photos or Drive, that data becomes fair game. Ask Gemini to search a spreadsheet to answer a question, or search Google for guitars one night, and that information can potentially feed into Google's broader ad-targeting system. The Gemini chat itself will not be shared, but the data in the document can be.
The practical meaning, according to BGR's analysis, is that details of your personal life, such as financial documents or vacation selfies, could indirectly influence the banners and pop-ups you see online. Your actual files are not handed directly to ad firms. But metadata and context are still being gathered to build a more profitable advertising profile of you.
The framing matters. Google presents the integration as optional, a feature that makes its ecosystem smarter and more useful, across both premium and free tiers of Gemini. BGR argues that users are regularly nudged to switch it on without understanding the trade-off. That concern is sharpest for people buying new hardware like a Pixel phone, where Gemini is built into the operating system by default. A quick prompt to let Gemini find a flight or summarize a work document sounds harmless, but clicking Agree without knowing the data may inform ad targeting is, in BGR's words, a potential privacy nightmare. The outlet also notes that generative AI needs focused, high-quality context to work well, which makes tools like Gemini an effective channel for data collection.
There is a way to limit this going forward. In your Google Account online, open the Data & Privacy tab and choose Personalization settings. From there you can click Turn off for Personalized Recommendations under the Search Services section. Alternatively, go to the Connected content apps section under Personal Intelligence and manually disconnect the apps you do not want linked. BGR adds that further privacy settings exist in Google Chrome and across the wider Google Account.
The piece is analysis rather than a report of confirmed practice, so the open question is how Google applies the policy in day-to-day ad targeting. For now, the clearest step is to check which apps are connected to Gemini and decide whether the convenience is worth it.
Notable Quotes
Google says it won't pull data from Drive or Photos for ads automatically, but data from files you grant its AI tools and search access to is fair game.— BGR, summarizing Google's policy
Want the full story?
Read the original at BGR ↗
Technology