Get the weekly research letter
Companies change their terms quietly. We read every version and catch what actually changed. One email a week on the changes that matter and what they mean. No account.
The agreement states that Google collects search terms, IP addresses, and latitude/longitude coordinates from end users through customer applications, and that Google and its affiliates may use and retain this data to provide and improve Google products and services.
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 Google's data collection and use rights from end users interacting with third-party applications that embed Google Maps, including retention for product improvement purposes across Google's affiliate network. The scope of permitted use (improving Google products and services generally) extends beyond the immediate purpose of providing the Maps service to the customer.
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 →Under this provision, end users of applications built on Google Maps Platform have their search terms, IP addresses, and precise location coordinates (latitude/longitude) collected by Google and potentially retained for use in improving Google products and services beyond the specific application they are using. The Google Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy governs how Google handles this data.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Data Use and Retention by Google and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →Monitoring
Google Maps has changed this document before.
Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 20 platforms.
"To provide the Services through the Customer Application(s), Google collects and receives data from Customer and End Users (and End Users' End Users, if any), including search terms, IP addresses, and latitude/longitude coordinates. Customer acknowledges and agrees that Google and its Affiliates may use and retain this data to provide and improve Google products and services, subject to the Google Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy .Excerpt from Google Maps's Platform Terms of Service
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages GDPR Articles 5 and 6 regarding lawful basis and purpose limitation for processing end user personal data, including precise location data. The Controller-Controller Data Protection Terms referenced in Section 4.4(b) establish the governance structure, but customers should evaluate whether Google's stated purpose of product improvement satisfies GDPR's purpose limitation principle as applied to data collected in the customer's application context. CCPA is engaged regarding the collection and use of personal information including precise geolocation data. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The Controller-Controller structure means Google acts as an independent controller for data collected from end users through customer applications, which limits the customer's ability to direct or restrict Google's use of that data. Customers whose applications serve sensitive user populations (healthcare, financial services, minors) should evaluate whether this data flow is consistent with their own privacy representations to users. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EEA customers are subject to the EEA TOS and Controller-Controller Data Protection Terms, which may impose additional constraints. California customers must disclose to end users that precise geolocation data is collected by a third party (Google) through their application under CCPA. The prohibition in Section 4.4(c)(ii)(2) on providing European end user personal data to Google does not eliminate Google's independent collection of that data through the Services. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Customers using Google Maps Platform in enterprise or regulated-industry applications should assess whether the data collection described in this provision creates a conflict with their own data processing agreements with end users or enterprise clients. In particular, customers in healthcare or financial services should evaluate whether Maps-integrated applications inadvertently expose regulated data flows. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Privacy teams should ensure that customer-facing privacy notices disclose Google's collection of search terms, IP addresses, and location coordinates through Maps-integrated features, and reference the Google Privacy Policy. Data mapping documentation should reflect Google as a third-party controller receiving end user data. CCPA-required disclosures about third-party data collection should be reviewed to confirm coverage of Google Maps data flows.
This provision establishes Google's data collection and use rights from end users interacting with third-party applications that embed Google Maps, including retention for product improvement purposes across Google's affiliate network. The scope of permitted use (improving Google products and services generally) extends beyond the immediate purpose of providing the Maps service to the customer.
Under this provision, end users of applications built on Google Maps Platform have their search terms, IP addresses, and precise location coordinates (latitude/longitude) collected by Google and potentially retained for use in improving Google products and services beyond the specific application they are using. The Google Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy governs how Google handles this data.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google Maps.