Google Maps · Google Maps Platform Terms of Service

Restrictions on Combining with Competing Data

High severity
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What it is

You cannot mix Google Maps data with data from competing map providers like OpenStreetMap, HERE, or Mapbox in a way that recreates what Google Maps does — the two must stay separate.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Developers cannot combine Google Maps with other mapping services to offer users a better or more diverse mapping experience — this limits innovation and choice in map-based applications that consumers use daily.

Cross-platform context

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

This restriction prevents developers from building hybrid mapping solutions that use the best features of multiple providers, creating a forced choice between Google Maps exclusively or a non-Google alternative.

View original clause language
You will not use the Maps API(s) to access Google Maps Content from any source other than Google, and you will not combine the maps or imagery accessed through the Maps APIs with data from any mapping or imagery provider that competes with Google or with any other data in a way that replaces or replicates the full functionality of any Google mapping service.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This clause, combined with the no-competing-product restriction, creates a comprehensive data exclusivity regime that may attract scrutiny under EU competition law (Art. 101 and 102 TFEU) and the Digital Markets Act (Art. 5 and 6), which prohibits gatekeepers from combining data across services in ways that entrench dominance. The European Commission's DMA enforcement team has explicit authority to address such interoperability restrictions. (2)

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has authority under Section 5 of the FTC Act and antitrust law to investigate data exclusivity provisions by dominant platform operators that foreclose competition.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Google Maps Platform Terms of Service
Entity
Google Maps
Document last updated
April 29, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 28, 2026
Last verified
April 28, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-004005
Document ID
CA-D-00324
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
d7d43c97b706df81bcb608a886eba9988cb50b384442642f9c928a5aa47175e4
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Google Maps | Document: Google Maps Platform Terms of Service | Record: CA-P-004005
Captured: 2026-04-28 10:05:02 UTC | SHA-256: d7d43c97b706df81…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/google-maps/google-maps-platform-terms-of-service/restrictions-on-combining-with-competing-data/
Accessed: May 2, 2026
Classification
Severity
High
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