Google may use content from Drive, Gmail and Photos for personalized ads: how to prevent it

The rise of artificial intelligence is also bringing along with it new opportunities for advertising and marketing companies.

Google has updated its privacy policy recently according to a report by Android Authority that allows it to use content from Google Drive, Gmail or Photos for personalized advertisement.

Up until now, Google did not use the content for showing personalized ads when customers interacted with AI services and tools.

The updated policy adds an exception to the general rule. Google writes:

We don’t show you personalized ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos, unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads.

In other words, if you allow Google services to access content from Google Drive, Gmail or Google Photos, personalized advertisement may use that content for showing ads to you. Google reaffirms customers that advertisers won’t get direct access to a customer’s file, photos, names, email addresses and other personal data.

While that means that customers have to allow Google to connect the services in first place, prompts to do just may be shown in regular intervals to users who use Gemini and other Google services.

You can verify if you have given Google permission for access already and can also revoke it. Downside to revoking is that certain Google services may no longer use the information for personalized suggestions or answers.

1. Load the main Google account website: https://myaccount.google.com/
2. Switch to Data & privacy.
   1. If you see that Personalize Search is set to Off, you have nothing to worry about.
3. Otherwise, select Personalization settings under Personalization & activity.
4. Choose Manage Personalized Recommendations in Search Services.
5. Find Connected Content apps under Additional Personal Intelligence.
6. Disconnect Google Workspace and Google Photos there.