Google Maps Platform Acceptable Use Policy Help Center

We don't allow use of our Services for customer applications that facilitate or promote illegal activities. Customers are solely responsible for determining the legality of your activities in its targeted locale.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Misappropriation of intellectual property rights.
• Violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
• Facilitating the sale or purchase of illegal drugs.
• Depicting or encouraging the use or sale of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco by minors.
• Instructions for growing or manufacturing illegal drugs.
• Encouraging or providing instructions for money laundering or tax evasion.

We don't allow use of our Services for customer applications that attempt to deceive users or contain misleading content. All customer activities must provide accurate disclosure of their functionality and perform as reasonably expected by the user.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Phishing.
• Pyramid schemes.
• Ponzi schemes.
• Deceiving users into purchasing goods or services.
• Featuring deceptive content that may interfere with public voting procedures.
• Divert users or provide links to any other site that mimics or passes itself off as another application or service.
• Represent that your content or application is authorized by or produced by another company or organization.

We don't allow use of our Services for customer applications that facilitate or promote gratuitous violence or other dangerous activities.

Our prohibition on violence includes hate speech. We don't allow applications that promote violence, or incite hatred against individuals or groups based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, nationality, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, caste, immigration status, or any other characteristic that is associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Promoting violence that can cause death, serious harm, or injury to people or animals.
• Applications that constitute or promote acts of terrorism or terrorism related content.
• Applications related to planning, preparing, or glorifying violence against civilians.
• Extremely graphic or violent materials for the sake of disgusting others.
• Applications that promote hate symbols such as flags, symbols, insignias, paraphernalia or behaviors associated with hate groups.
• Applications that include content or speech that encourages others to believe that people should be hated or discriminated against because they are a member of a protected group.
• Promoting self harm, suicide, eating disorders, choking games or other acts where serious injury or death may result.

We don't allow use of our Services for customer applications that incorporate or promote sexual content, including pornography, or any content or services intended to be sexually gratifying. Applications that contain nudity may be allowed if the primary purpose is educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic, and is not gratuitous.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Non-consensual Explicit Imagery (NCEI).
• Actions that promote sex-related entertainment, escort services, or other services that may be interpreted as providing sexual acts in exchange for compensation.
• Erotic massage services.
• Sexually explicit images or videos.
• Pornography.

Google has a zero-tolerance policy against child sexual abuse content, or applications promoting the sexual exploitation of minors. Applications that include content that sexualizes minors are subject to immediate removal, including but not limited to those that promote pedophilia or inappropriate interaction targeted at a minor. We will remove violating applications and take appropriate action, which may include reporting to relevant authorities or law enforcement, limiting access to product features, and disabling accounts.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Applications intended to help befriend a child online to facilitate, either online or offline, sexual contact and/or exchanging sexual imagery with that child.
• Applications including imagery that depicts, encourages or promotes the sexual abuse of children or the portrayal of children in a manner that could result in the sexual exploitation of children.
• Threatening or blackmailing a child by using real or alleged access to a child’s intimate images.
• Advertising or solicitation of a child for commercial sexual exploitation.

We don't allow use of our Services for customer applications that are intended to harass or discriminate. This includes applications primarily intended to harass or single out another person for abuse, malicious attack, or ridicule.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Displaying mugshots, court records, or other sensitive information and requiring payment for takedown.
• Distributing false and damaging information about an individual or business.
• Using personal information for the purpose of exploitation or blackmail. 
• Posting content in order to bully or discriminate against someone publicly.
• Harassing victims, or their friends and families, of a tragic event.

We do not allow use of our Services for customer applications that include the collection, distribution, or display of personal information without consent. Personal information is defined as information that applies to a living identifiable person and disclosure could result in risk of harm if it is compromised or misused. 

Content which contains personal information includes anything that can be used to identify someone, from their name and address to their phone number, passport information, social security numbers, photos, videos, and medical or financial information.

We do allow an individual’s full name if it is part of the commonly known or advertised business entity or if they are a public-facing professional conducting business under their name.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Displaying or publishing government identification numbers, credit card numbers, driver's and other license numbers, or non-public contact information.
• Displaying photos or videos of individuals without their permission.
• Collecting and distributing the names and addresses of individuals who use your application or visit your site. 

We don’t allow use of our Services for customer applications that use demographic information in a manner that is likely to limit sensitive consumer opportunities.

Demographics include things like age, race, gender, economic characteristics, and marital status. This provision does not prohibit use of demographic information when it is a legitimate requirement for eligibility, such as when someone must be 21 years or older to gain admission.

“Sensitive consumer opportunities” include social and economic opportunities that are fundamental for individual well-being, social status, and quality of life. For example, housing, employment, education, banking and credit, and insurance.”

Here are some examples of violations:

• Factoring that an individual lives in a largely ethnic community as part of a background check for employment or housing.
• Inferring family status from proximity to daycare providers and using that as a factor in creditworthiness. 
• Excluding minority owned businesses from service or service offerings.
• Identifying restaurant types or local religious organizations to predict neighborhood demographics, and using that as a factor in admission to an academic institution.
• Identify the number or type of vehicles as a signal of financial status when offering credit rates.
• Identify children’s toys in the driveway as a sign of family status when considering a housing rental application.
• Identify wheelchair ramps or other accessibility modifications at someone’s home when considering a job application.

We don’t allow our data to be combined with Customer data in a way that would expose additional personal information, unless the user has given express consent for the particular purpose. This includes when a Customer holds personal information about its users (including non-identifiable information about how a user lives their life) and combines that with any Google data (including our basemap) to observe, collect, or conduct analysis for the purpose of deriving additional personal information.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Surveillance, such as conducting or facilitating the persistent or targeted monitoring, identification, or tracking of individuals, households, groups, or activities. 
• Use of imagery data to monitor changes in the condition of a residential home that is owned or occupied. 
• Identifying frequent locations of a specific automobile by unique characteristics such as damage or customization.
• Tracking residential construction or other improvements.
• The use of location data collected by smartphone and tablet apps for alternate purposes unknown or unexpected by the device owner, such as part of a civil or criminal investigation.

We don’t permit use of the Services to aid or assist weapons or other technologies that are designed to injure people. Use of the Services is permitted for defensive, security, and logistical applications.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Use of geodata to identify weapons targets.
• Improving accuracy of offensive weapons.
• Development of guided missiles.
• Identifying offensive targets.

We don’t allow use of our Services for customer applications that are designed to harm users or the public at large.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Viruses
• Worms
• Trojan horses
• Corrupted files
• Hoaxes

We don’t permit unauthorized use of the Services.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Sharing of API keys with external parties.
• Misappropriated account credentials.
• Use of API keys by an employee or agent of the customer without proper authorization.

We don’t permit modifications or other use of the Services in a manner not expressly permitted.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Disabling a feature of the Services in a way not permitted by the applicable terms.
• Circumventing billing or accurate reporting of usage.

We don't allow use of our Services for customer applications that spam users through unsolicited or repetitive activity. 

Here are some examples of violations:

• SMS, email or other messages on behalf of the user without giving the user the ability to confirm the content and intended recipients.
• Pushing content to users' mobile devices without their permission.

We don’t permit use of the Services to access other Google products or services in a manner that is prohibited by those products or services, or to use the Services to avoid enforcement action taken by other Google products or services.

Here are some examples of violations:

• Use of the Services or customer account credentials to gain access to beta versions of Google products and use of those products in a manner that violations their policies or terms.
• Using GMP for applications that are prohibited by MyMaps.

Google requires that our users and customers comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. If you have any questions about compliance, please contact your legal advisor.

Google requires that our users and customers comply with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. If you have any questions about compliance, please contact your legal advisor.

Google requires that our users and customers comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. If you have any questions about compliance, please contact your legal advisor.