Google reportedly made an exception to its own privacy policy so Gmail and Google Photos data can be used for ads. Here is what to check in your account.
Google has reportedly made an exception to its own privacy policy so it can use information from Gmail and Google Photos for advertising. That is the word from Android Authority. If you use either app, your email and your pictures may play a part in the ads you see.
A privacy policy is the set of promises a company makes about how it handles your data. According to the report, Google has carved out an exception to those promises for ad purposes. The data involved comes from Gmail and Google Photos, two apps many people open every day.
Anyone with a Google account who uses Gmail or Google Photos could be touched by this. That includes families who share photos and small businesses that run their email on Gmail. Email and photos often hold personal and work details, which is why this deserves a look.
The source material is thin. It does not say exactly what data would be used, when this starts, or how ads would change. It also does not say whether you can opt out. Treat the report as a prompt to check your settings, not as a final answer.
The alert box above lays out the steps. In short, open your Google Account privacy settings, review the ad controls, and switch off anything you are not comfortable with.
Watch for notices from Google about privacy or ad changes. Read them before you click accept, since that is often where new data uses are explained.
Review your Google ad and privacy settings now, and read any Google notice before you accept it.
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