Google has revised its privacy terms to enable the use of data from Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos to personalise advertisements, but this applies only to users who opt into specific features and consent to cross-service data access.
- Ad personalisation now includes Gmail, Drive, and Photos data for consenting users
- Signed-in user data linked to Google Account, others linked to device identifiers
- Google shares personal data externally only under defined conditions
What happened
On October 16, Google revised its privacy policy to permit the use of data from Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos for personalised advertising purposes. This change applies only to users who enable the Personal Intelligence feature, explicitly allowing other Google services to access this data. The policy applies differently to signed-in and signed-out users, with data linked either to their Google Account or device identifiers, respectively.
Google outlines several purposes for collecting and using this data, such as delivering and improving services, personalising user experiences including ads, measuring performance, communicating with users, and protecting the company and its users. The updated policy also clarifies how personal information may be shared outside the company, primarily under carefully controlled conditions.
Why it matters
This policy update marks a significant shift in how Google utilises cross-service data within its ecosystem in India, potentially increasing the precision of advertising but also raising important privacy implications. Users who activate features like Personal Intelligence effectively allow their Gmail, Drive, and Photos data to inform targeted ads, which some may view as intrusive.
Data from users signed out of Google accounts is still utilised for ad personalisation but linked to device or browser identifiers rather than personal accounts, which represents a delicate balance between targeted advertising and privacy protections. Transparency about data sharing with third-party partners, such as measurement companies and merchants, is also essential for maintaining user trust.
What to watch next
Stakeholders should monitor user adoption rates of the Personal Intelligence feature and how Google enforces consent mechanisms around data sharing across services. Privacy regulators in India may scrutinise the practical impact of this policy on consumer privacy rights under existing data protection laws, potentially influencing future regulatory actions or policy adjustments.
Meanwhile, users and privacy advocates will likely observe how clearly Google communicates these changes and whether users can easily control or opt out of ad personalisation that involves sensitive data from Gmail, Drive, and Photos. The company’s commitments to data confidentiality in events like mergers or acquisitions will also remain an area of interest.