Google · Google Terms of Service · View original document ↗

Limitation of Liability

Medium severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Common · 227 of 325 platforms
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Monitor governance changes for Google Create a free account to receive the weekly governance digest and monitor one platform for governance changes.
Create free account No credit card required.
Document Record

What it is

Google limits its financial responsibility to you for problems with its services. Except where local law requires otherwise, Google says it will not pay for lost data, lost profits, or indirect harms, and its maximum liability is capped at what you paid Google.

This analysis describes what Google'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

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This limitation of liability clause allocates financial risk between Google and users by defining the universe of recoverable damages in disputes and establishing a monetary ceiling on exposure. The provision narrows the categories of damages available in claims while restricting the aggregate amount regardless of the nature or magnitude of loss alleged.

Interpretive note: The enforceability of this clause varies significantly by jurisdiction; EU, UK, and some US state consumer protection laws may limit or override portions of this liability cap for consumer users.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium May 5, 2026

The updated terms state that Google provides services using 'reasonable skill and care' rather than disclaiming warranties entirely under 'as is' language. Previously, the terms disclaimed all warranties except those explicitly stated in service-specific terms. The revised language now acknowledges that both law and the terms give users rights to a certain quality of service and ways to fix problems if things go wrong. The terms establish a process in which users are expected to notify Google if service quality falls short, and Google commits to working with users to resolve the issue. This represents a shift from a liability-limiting warranty structure to one that acknowledges affirmative quality obligations.

View change record →
Medium Apr 19, 2026

The updated terms materially reduce service quality commitments. The revised language replaces Google's prior commitment to provide services using "reasonable skill and care" with an explicit as-is disclaimer stating that services are provided "without any express or implied warranties" unless stated in service-specific terms. The updated terms now explicitly apply to all users whether signed in to a Google account or not, extending their scope. Google also clarifies that its Privacy Policy applies to service use. These changes establish that users have fewer contractual recourse options if services fail to function as expected, except where service-specific additional terms or applicable law provide otherwise.

View change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

The limitation of liability clause means that if Google's services cause data loss or other harm, users may have limited financial recourse under these terms. The agreement states this limit applies 'to the extent permitted by law,' so applicable consumer protection statutes in the EU, UK, and some US states may provide broader rights.

How other platforms handle this

Cohere Medium

In no event will either party's aggregate liability arising out of or related to this Agreement exceed the total fees paid or payable by Customer in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim. In no event will either party be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive d...

DeepSeek Medium

IN NO EVENT WILL DEEPSEEK OR ITS AFFILIATES BE LIABLE UNDER ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, PRODUCTS LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE, FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OR LOST PROFITS, EVEN IF DEEPSEEK OR ITS AFFILIATES HAVE ...

Perplexity AI Medium

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL PERPLEXITY, ITS AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OFFICERS, OR DIRECTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES FOR LOSS O...

See all platforms with this clause type →

Monitoring

Google has changed this document before.

Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 10 platforms.

Start Watcher free trial Or create a free account →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
When permitted by law, Google, and Google's suppliers and distributors, will not be responsible for lost profits, revenues, or data, financial losses or indirect, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages. To the extent permitted by law, the total liability of Google, and its suppliers and distributors, for any claims under these terms, including for any implied warranties, is limited to the amount you paid us to use the services (or, if we choose, to supplying you the services again).

— Excerpt from Google's Google Terms of Service

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision may require evaluation under EU Directive 93/13 on unfair contract terms, which restricts limitations of liability in consumer contracts that create a significant imbalance to the consumer's detriment. The UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 similarly limits the enforceability of liability exclusions against consumers. In the US, the FTC Act prohibits unfair or deceptive practices, and some states impose additional limitations on liability waivers. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The clause expressly conditions its operation on local law permission, which is a standard commercial practice and reduces the risk of blanket unenforceability in consumer-protective jurisdictions. However, the practical impact on users of free services is that the liability cap may be zero, as the cap is tied to amounts paid. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU/EEA and UK users: mandatory consumer protection statutes may override this limitation for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, and other categories. California: California Consumer Legal Remedies Act and other statutes may limit the enforceability of this clause for California residents. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Enterprise contracts with Google should negotiate express liability provisions that supersede these general terms, as the general ToS limitation is likely inadequate for commercial relationships involving data processing or mission-critical services. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should assess whether reliance on Google services for regulated activities (financial services processing, health data, student records) is adequately covered by separate data processing agreements that include appropriate liability frameworks beyond these general terms.

Full compliance analysis

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

Track 1 platform — free Try Watcher free for 14 days

Free: track 1 platform + weekly digest. Watcher: 10 platforms + same-day alerts. No credit card required.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has jurisdiction over unfair or deceptive practices in consumer contracts, including liability limitation clauses in digital service agreements.
    File a complaint →
  • State AG
    State attorneys general may have jurisdiction over consumer protection claims where liability limitation clauses conflict with state consumer protection statutes.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Google Terms of Service
Entity
Google
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 12, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-001894
Document ID
CA-D-00014
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
dc26d482785d45e61dbe747d648713a0c38af8f5f56712021116bdb277984fb9
Analysis generated
May 12, 2026 11:49 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Google
Document: Google Terms of Service
Record ID: CA-P-001894
Captured: 2026-05-12 11:49:36 UTC
SHA-256: dc26d482785d45e6…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/google/google-terms-of-service/limitation-of-liability/
Accessed: May 20, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Professional Governance Intelligence

Need to monitor specific governance provisions?

Professional includes provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, regulatory mapping, and audit-ready analysis.

Arbitration clauses AI governance Data rights Indemnification Retention policies
Start Professional free trial

Or start with Watcher →

Built from archived source documents, structured governance mappings, and historical version tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Google's Limitation of Liability clause do?

This limitation of liability clause allocates financial risk between Google and users by defining the universe of recoverable damages in disputes and establishing a monetary ceiling on exposure. The provision narrows the categories of damages available in claims while restricting the aggregate amount regardless of the nature or magnitude of loss alleged.

How does this clause affect you?

The limitation of liability clause means that if Google's services cause data loss or other harm, users may have limited financial recourse under these terms. The agreement states this limit applies 'to the extent permitted by law,' so applicable consumer protection statutes in the EU, UK, and some US states may provide broader rights.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 227 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Google?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google.