What can I do about this clause?

{'method': 'WEB_FORM', 'recipient': 'https://console.cloud.google.com/', 'difficulty': 'MODERATE', 'action_type': 'EXPORT_DATA', 'instructions': 'Log into Google Cloud Console, navigate to APIs & Services, and review your Maps API usage quotas and caching configurations to ensure compliance with the 30-day geocode cache limit.', 'deadline_days': None, 'deadline_hours': None}

Which regulatory agencies enforce this type of clause?

{'agency': 'FTC', 'reason': 'FTC Act Section 5 applies if restrictive caching rules are implemented in ways that are deceptive to consumers or create unfair data security risks.', 'complaint_url': 'https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/'}

What is the severity of this clause?

ConductAtlas classifies this Prohibition on Caching and Storing Maps Content clause as medium severity. Severity reflects the magnitude of rights affected, the breadth of users impacted, and the degree of discretion the platform retains.

Prohibition on Caching and Storing Maps Content — Google Maps

Share 𝕏 Share in Share

What it is

You are not allowed to download or save Google Maps data for use outside of live API calls, with very limited exceptions for temporary caching of coordinates for up to 30 days.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Apps built on Google Maps cannot store map data locally beyond 30 days for coordinates, meaning applications must maintain live API connections — this affects reliability in low-connectivity environments and increases developer dependence on Google's infrastructure.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.

Export Your Data

Log into Google Cloud Console, navigate to APIs & Services, and review your Maps API usage quotas and caching configurations to ensure compliance with the 30-day geocode cache limit.

How other platforms handle this

Webull Medium

Webull data is not intended to provide financial, legal, tax or investment advice or recommendations. You are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumsta...

YouTube Medium

OTHER THAN AS EXPRESSLY STATED IN THIS AGREEMENT OR AS REQUIRED BY LAW, THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND YOUTUBE DOES NOT MAKE ANY SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS OR WARRANTIES ABOUT THE SERVICE. FOR EXAMPLE, WE DON'T MAKE ANY WARRANTIES ABOUT: (A) THE CONTENT PROVIDED THROUGH THE SERVICE; (B) THE SPECIFIC ...

PayPal Medium

PayPal's Seller Protection program may protect you from certain buyer claims, chargebacks, and reversals under certain conditions. Transactions that are not eligible for Seller Protection include: items that you deliver in person; items equivalent to cash including gift cards; PayPal Direct payments...

See all platforms with this clause type →

Need full compliance memos? See Professional →

Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

This rule prevents businesses from building offline or cached versions of Maps data, creating dependency on continuous API connectivity and restricting how developers can architect their applications.

View original clause language

You will not pre-fetch, cache, index, or store any Content (including any Google Map), or any data included within a Google Map, to use outside of the Service, except as follows: You may temporarily cache latitude and longitude coordinates (geocodes) for up to 30 days to improve performance of your Maps API Implementation, after which you must delete the cached geocodes.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision implicates database rights under EU Directive 96/9/EC (Database Directive) and copyright law (17 U.S.C. § 103 in the US context) by restricting reproduction of compiled geographic data. GDPR Art. 5(1)(e) storage limitation principle is relevant where cached data includes personal location information. The FTC Act Section 5 is also engaged if caching restrictions affect the security or availability of user data.

🔒

Compliance intelligence locked

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

Watcher $9.99/mo Professional $149/mo

Watcher: regulatory citations. Professional: full compliance memo.

Applicable agencies

FTC

FTC Act Section 5 applies if restrictive caching rules are implemented in ways that are deceptive to consumers or create unfair data security risks.
File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information

Document

Google Maps Platform Terms of Service

Entity

Google Maps

Document last updated

March 24, 2026

Tracking information

First tracked

March 20, 2026

Last verified

April 9, 2026

Record ID

CA-P-002376

Document ID

CA-D-00324

Evidence Provenance

Source URL

https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/terms

Wayback Machine

View archived versions →

SHA-256

6b3fc9132543f92a0d6e87edb75a218ea1e3c5adb602f1a194b2b81c84dc02d6

Verified

✓ Snapshot stored ✓ Change verified

How to Cite

ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Google Maps | Document: Google Maps Platform Terms of Service | Record: CA-P-002376
Captured: 2026-03-20 06:28:58 UTC | SHA-256: 6b3fc9132543f92a…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/google-maps/google-maps-platform-terms-of-service/prohibition-on-caching-and-storing-maps-content/
Accessed: April 29, 2026

Classification

Severity

Medium

Prohibition on Caching and Storing Maps Content