Google Changed One Sentence in Its Privacy Policy. Read It.
On October 16, Google changed one sentence in its privacy policy.
The old promise: no personalised ads "based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos". The new version keeps the promise, then adds: "unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads."
In plain English: if you connect Gmail, Drive or Photos to Google's Personal Intelligence - the feature that lets AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app use your content - those connected services may use it to personalise what you see, including ads. Google's policy adds that this depends on your settings; its ads controls live in My Ad Center.
Some important softening:
- Google says it does not share personally identifying information, such as your name or email, with advertisers - unless you ask it to.
- Ads on sensitive categories like health and religion stay off-limits.
- The AI connection is opt-in. Nothing changes until you switch it on.
Two facts matter more for a UK business:
- Personal Intelligence is US-only for now, and Workspace business accounts aren't eligible for this feature.
- Our editorial read: it shows the direction of travel - more convenience in exchange for more of your data. If this reaches the UK, review the controls rather than assuming the same terms.
The habit to build now costs two minutes: Google account, Data & privacy, Personalization settings. Know what is connected. Keep client data out of personal AI tools.
Our take: AI features will keep trading convenience for data. Read the sentence before you click.
If you want your team's AI settings reviewed properly, we can help.
Klaud Team
