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Google Says Gmail and Photos Data Shared With AI Search Could Be Used for Targeted Ads

By The Hacker News1 min read

Google has updated its privacy policy to clarify that personalized AI features in Search and Gemini can access data from other Google services, such as Gmail and Photos, and that this information may be used to serve targeted ads, according to The Hacker News.

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Google has updated its privacy policy to spell out that using personalized artificial intelligence features in Search or its Gemini apps could allow the company to serve targeted ads based on a user's activity across other connected Google services, The Hacker News reported.

According to the report, the updated policy language makes the data-sharing arrangement explicit. "You may choose to allow certain Google services, including services like Search or Gemini Apps, to access data from other Google services you use," the policy states. As the headline indicates, data from services such as Gmail and Photos falls within the scope of what could be shared with AI-powered search features and subsequently used for advertising purposes.

The wording of the policy indicates that the access is permission-based, meaning users are given a choice over whether to connect their data across services. However, the disclosure underscores a broader privacy tension as major technology companies fold generative AI assistants into their core products: the same personal data that makes AI features more useful and personalized can also feed the advertising systems that generate most of the company's revenue.

For privacy-conscious users, the update is a reminder to review which cross-service permissions they have enabled and to consider how personal content, including emails and photos, might be used once it is made accessible to AI-driven features. Further details are available in the original report by The Hacker News.

Source: The Hacker News

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AI security

Apple Adds Setting to Exclude Apps from Siri AI, EFF Says

Apple's latest device update, iOS 27.2, introduces a setting that lets users exclude apps from Siri AI features, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which says the change addresses a request from its Encrypt It Already campaign.

1 min read

AI-written summary Source: EFF Updates · Fetched

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AI security

Unit 42 Warns of Peak Season Cyber Threats Targeting Retailers

Unit 42 has outlined the key cyber threats facing retailers during the peak shopping season, ranging from ransomware to attacks involving artificial intelligence, along with guidance on defending operations and customer trust.

1 min read

AI-written summary Source: Unit 42 · Fetched

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AI security

GitHub's npm package firewall can block brand-new versions before they install

GitHub has announced a package firewall for npm that checks packages against an enterprise's policy before they install, blocking known malware, critical vulnerabilities and brand-new versions, Help Net Security reported. The checks run before a package reaches a developer's laptop, a build or a coding agent.

1 min read

AI-written summary Source: Help Net Security · Fetched

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