Google updates privacy policy to link AI features with ad targeting

The change, first identified by Android Authority, modifies a long-standing promise that strictly separated user-generated content from the company's ad machinery. As of October 16, the policy includes a critical exception: if a user authorizes Google’s 'Personal Intelligence' features or Gemini apps to access their files for a more personalized experience, that data becomes fair game for ad profiling.

Google maintains that advertisers never gain direct access to private documents or personally identifying information. Furthermore, the company asserts that sensitive categories—such as health, religion, or race—remain off-limits for targeting. To avoid this data harvesting, users must manually navigate to their Search Services Personalization settings to disconnect specific apps or disable personalized recommendations entirely.