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
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 →How other platforms handle this
Comply with applicable laws, lawful requests, and legal process, such as to respond to subpoenas or requests from government authorities
Any personal information we collect from you to verify your identity in connection with your request will be used solely for the purposes of verification.
We may use information about you, your activity, content, media uploads and related data in your account to prevent, detect, investigate and address safety, security, fraud and abuse risks, and to develop our algorithms and models to identify violations...
"You may also see personalized ads based on information from the advertiser. If you shopped on an advertiser's website, for example, they can use that visit information to show you ads.Excerpt from Google's Privacy Policy
We read the privacy policies and terms of service of 38 AI platforms. Here is what they say about training, retention, arbitration, and liability.
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The clause states: “You may also see personalized ads based on information from the advertiser. If you shopped on an advertiser's website, for example, they can use that visit information to show you ads.”
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 273 platforms. See the full comparison.
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