Artificial Intelligence
Google says AI search data can inform ads
Google revised its privacy policy to say that data shared with Search or Gemini through personalised features could be used in ad personalisation, while also restating its default limits and opt-out controls.
- Google updated its privacy policy, with the changes taking effect on 16 October 2026.
- The policy said users could let Search or Gemini Apps access data from other Google services, including Google Photos and Workspace apps such as Gmail and Drive.
- Google said Search may use some accessed data to personalise content, including advertising, if users choose to share it through those features.
- Google also said it does not use Gmail, Drive or Google Photos content for personalised ads by default.
- OpenAI said it had expanded advertising in ChatGPT to 26 more countries, taking the total to 89.
Google revised its privacy policy to say that its personalised AI features could allow Search to use data from other connected Google services for ad personalisation. The policy update took effect on 16 October 2026.
The policy said users could permit Search or Gemini Apps to access data from services such as Google Photos and Workspace apps including Gmail and Drive. Google also said Search might process some of that data to personalise content, including advertisements.
Google said it does not serve personalised ads based on content from Drive, Gmail or Google Photos unless users choose to make that data available to other Google services that support personalised ads. The article said that if users interact with AI Mode or Gemini while Personal Intelligence is enabled, the information used to answer prompts could become a signal for ads.
Google said Personal Intelligence, which it unveiled in Gemini in January 2026, lets users connect services such as Gmail, Google Photos and YouTube to produce tailored answers with chat history preferences. It was rolling out as a beta to eligible users over 18, except in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, the U.K. and Nigeria.
The article also said OpenAI began showing ads in January 2026 to logged-in adult users in the free and ChatGPT Go tiers in the United States. OpenAI said the ads were labelled, separate from answers, and that it did not sell customer data or let advertising affect chatbot replies.
Named in this story
Companies
- updated its privacy policy and described how its AI features may affect ad personalisation
- OpenAI
- said it had expanded advertising in ChatGPT to more countries
Products and systems
- Search
- Google service that may process accessed data to personalise content, including ads
- Gemini
- Google AI service that can connect to other services for personalised features
- Google Photos
- one of the services users can link to Google AI features
- Gmail
- one of the Workspace apps named in the policy update
- Drive
- one of the Workspace apps named in the policy update
- Personal Intelligence
- Google feature that links other services for tailored answers
- AI Mode
- Search tool discussed as part of the personalisation flow
- YouTube
- one of the services Google said users could connect to Personal Intelligence
- ChatGPT
- OpenAI product where advertising was shown to logged-in adult users
- ChatGPT Go
- one of the tiers where OpenAI said ads were shown
Places
- United States
- the market where OpenAI first showed ads to logged-in adult users
- European Economic Area
- one of the regions excluded from the Personal Intelligence rollout
- Switzerland
- one of the countries excluded from the Personal Intelligence rollout
- U.K.
- one of the countries excluded from the Personal Intelligence rollout
- Nigeria
- one of the countries excluded from the Personal Intelligence rollout
How the source tells it
The piece was a mostly neutral explainer with a short advisory aside, rather than an emotive or alarmist report.
No emotive framing was found in the original.