The agreement requires that customer applications notify end users in advance of data collection types and any combination of location data with other providers' data, and prohibits obtaining or caching end user location data without express, prior, and revocable consent.
This analysis describes what Google Maps'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
This provision establishes specific consent and disclosure standards for location data that customers must implement in their applications, including a revocability requirement that interacts with GDPR consent standards and CCPA opt-out rights. Failure to comply with this provision is identified in Section 5.2(d) as a basis for immediate service suspension.
The updated terms add a new liability carve-out stating that Google cannot contractually exclude or limit its liability for customer breaches of usage or license restrictions in the agreement. This means if a customer violates how they are permitted to use Google Maps Platform, Google retains full liability exposure for damages resulting from that breach. The change affects the contractual liability allocation between Google and customers using the platform.
View change record →The updated terms establish a broader definition of activities that are subject to heightened restrictions under the Google Maps Platform Terms of Service. Previously, the definition enumerated specific high-risk categories. The revised language now encompasses any use case where service failure could reasonably be expected to result in death, serious personal injury, or severe environmental or property damage, and explicitly identifies weaponry as a restricted application. Developers and organizations using Google Maps for restricted purposes should review their use cases against the new definition to ensure continued compliance.
View change record →This provision establishes that end users of applications built on Google Maps Platform are entitled to advance notice of location data collection and any combination of that data with third-party data providers, and must provide express, revocable consent before their location is obtained or cached. Under this clause, end users retain the right to revoke consent for location data collection within any Maps-integrated application.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle End User Location Privacy and Consent Requirement and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →"To safeguard End Users' location privacy, Customer will ensure that the Customer Application(s): (A) notify End Users in advance of (1) the type(s) of data that Customer intends to collect from the End Users or the End Users' devices, and (2) the combination and use of End User's location with any other data provider's data; and (B) will not obtain or cache any End User's location except with the End User's express, prior, revocable consent.Excerpt from Google Maps's Platform Terms of Service
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision directly engages GDPR Article 7 (conditions for consent) and Article 13 (information to be provided) for EEA users, as well as CCPA consent and opt-out requirements for California residents.
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This provision establishes specific consent and disclosure standards for location data that customers must implement in their applications, including a revocability requirement that interacts with GDPR consent standards and CCPA opt-out rights. Failure to comply with this provision is identified in Section 5.2(d) as a basis for immediate service suspension.
This provision establishes that end users of applications built on Google Maps Platform are entitled to advance notice of location data collection and any combination of that data with third-party data providers, and must provide express, revocable consent before their location is obtained or cached. Under this clause, end users retain the right to revoke consent for location data collection …
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