Google · Google AI Principles

Prohibited AI Applications List

Medium severity
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What it is

We will not design or deploy AI in the following application areas: Technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm. Where there is material risk of harm, we will proceed only where we believe that the benefits substantially outweigh the risks, and will incorporate appropriate safety constraints. Weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people. Technologies that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms. Technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.

Why it matters

This is the most concrete commitment in the document — it defines a floor below which Google says it will not go — but it is self-policed with no external verification.

Consumer impact

Google's AI Principles set out aspirational commitments about what kinds of AI the company will and won't build, which indirectly affects every person who uses Google products — from Search to Gemini to Google Workspace. However, the document creates no legally enforceable rights for consumers: there is no opt-out mechanism, no user complaint pathway, and no independent auditor verifying compliance with the stated principles. You can file a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov if you believe Google's AI practices contradict its publicly stated principles.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has authority under Section 5 to investigate whether Google's public AI prohibitions constitute material representations that could be deceptive if not followed in practice.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Google AI Principles
Entity
Google
Document last updated
March 24, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 6, 2026
Last verified
April 4, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-000141
Document ID
CA-D-00016
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
9ebc422713724c8a5f3a92a7071619ee6dc70dba4faf04a1f3a087c3ac08c42f
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Google | Document: Google AI Principles | Record: CA-P-000141
Captured: 2026-03-06 20:30:33 UTC | SHA-256: 9ebc422713724c8a…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/google/google-ai-principles/prohibited-ai-applications-list/
Accessed: April 4, 2026
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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