Google has updated its privacy policy to allow personal information from Gmail, Google Photos, and Drive to potentially be used for targeted advertising, raising new questions about how the company handles users’ private data.
The change, which took effect on October 16, introduces a significant exception to Google’s previous promise that it would not use content from these services to personalize advertisements.
As first spotted by Android Authority, the updated policy specifically affects users who connect their personal information to Google’s AI-powered services, including Search and Gemini.
I’ve already agreed the ads ecosystem sucks.
If you had it your way, small businesses could probably not afford to advertise online. It would only be businesses who could blanket the internet with their banners at mass scale without targeting.
We already have GDPR, TCF 2 and various other privacy frameworks and laws localized. What do you want to change?
I personally like publishers staying in businesses who produce valuable content.
If a website can tell what zip code you’re in based on IP, that’s good enough. If someone is using a VPN and their approximate location is obfuscated, the USER can choose to volunteer their location if they want localized ads.
Targeted advertising of any kind should be voluntary.
I also believe billboards should be taken down. Advertisers have been given carte blanche to hijack our eyes, ears, and attention without permission for far too long.