The policy states that deleted data may persist in Google's active and backup systems for an unspecified period before complete removal, and that retained data may be kept in anonymized form rather than deleted entirely in some circumstances.
This analysis describes what Google's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision establishes that user-initiated deletion requests do not result in immediate removal from all Google systems, and that some data may be retained in anonymized form, which has implications for compliance with data subject deletion rights under GDPR and U.S. state privacy laws.
The updated policy establishes a new opt-in mechanism that allows Google services like Search and Gemini to access data from other Google services you use, including Gmail, Google Photos, and Drive, to personalize your experience and show you targeted ads. Previously, Google's policy stated it did not show personalized ads based on content from these services. Under the revised terms, if you choose to enable this feature, Google may use data from Gmail, Photos, and Drive to personalize ads and content, including through a feature called Personal Intelligence. You can manage this through your Google account settings to control which services can access data from other services.
View change record →Google's Privacy Policy now gives an effective date of October 1, 2026, replacing May 26, 2026. One passage changed. It covers information Google collects when you are not signed in, which it stores with identifiers tied to your browser, app or device. The policy previously said this lets Google show more relevant search results or ads “based on your activity”; it now says “based on your activity across devices.”
View change record →The updated policy explicitly discloses that Google collects data when you are signed out and stores it with unique identifiers tied to your browser, application, or device. The policy also expands the types of activity it collects to include 'media (like images, files, audio and video) from your interactions,' in addition to previously listed categories. The revised language reorganizes privacy controls into 'Search Services History' and 'Web & App Activity,' and clarifies that depending on your settings, activity from services like Search, Maps, and Shopping is saved as history to your Google Account. You can manage these settings through your Google Account privacy controls, including the ability to turn off Web & App Activity or adjust Personalized Recommendations in Search services.
View change record →Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Data Retention and Delayed Deletion from Backup Systems and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →"When you delete data, we follow a deletion process to make sure that your data is safely and completely removed from our servers or retained only in anonymized form. We try to ensure that our services protect information from accidental or malicious deletion. Because of this, there may be delays between when you delete something and when copies are deleted from our active and backup systems.Excerpt from Google's Privacy Policy
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This provision establishes that user-initiated deletion requests do not result in immediate removal from all Google systems, and that some data may be retained in anonymized form, which has implications for compliance with data subject deletion rights under GDPR and U.S. state privacy laws.
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