Google has changed its privacy policy. Under this, data from Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos can be used to show personalized advertisements, if the user gives permission to share the data of these apps with other Google services. According to the report of Android Authority, this change has been made on October 16.
Till now, Google’s policy stated that the data of these services should not be used for personalized advertisements. An exception to this rule has been added in the new policy. This may affect those users who connect Gmail, Drive or Photos to Google’s Personal Intelligence feature and AI based search tools.
How will the data of Gmail and Google Photos be used?
Google’s Personal Intelligence feature is designed to provide more personalized answers and suggestions to users based on information from connected apps. For example, with access to Gmail or Google Photos, Google Search and Gemini can respond based on information about the user’s activities and preferences.
However, according to the new policy, the data shared with these services can also be used to personalize content. This also includes advertisements. This will depend on what the user’s settings are and what kind of permissions have been given to the concerned Google service.
This does not mean that every user’s Gmail or Photos data will automatically be used for advertisements. Usage of data will depend on the connected services and privacy settings of the user.
Will advertising companies get your personal data?
Google says that advertising companies are not given direct access to users’ Gmail, Drive or Photos data. Through this process, they are not given any personally identifying information like the user’s name or email address.
The company has also said that advertisements will not be shown on the basis of sensitive categories like race, sexual orientation, religion or health.
What is said in Google’s new privacy policy?
According to the updated policy, users can allow Google services like Search or Gemini to access data from Gmail, Google Photos and Workspace apps to provide a more personalized experience. However, the use of data will be subject to the policies of the respective service and the settings of the user.
It has also been clarified in the policy that based on the user’s settings, advertisements can be shown according to his preferences, activities or personalized content received from Google services.
How should users keep their privacy?
If you don’t want information from Gmail, Drive or Photos to be shared with other Google services, check your privacy settings and the permissions of connected apps. See which services have access to your data and whether you need that access.
This change shows that there is a growing connection between providing a more personalized experience through AI features and serving ads. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the data sharing settings while using Google’s connected services.
