Google · Google Terms of Service · View original document ↗

User Conduct and Prohibited Behavior

Low severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 325 platforms
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Recent governance activity Google recorded 3 documented changes in the last 30 days.
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Document Record

What it is

You are required to follow Google's usage policies, must not attempt to circumvent or interfere with the services, and may only use them in ways that comply with applicable law.

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)

Violation of the conduct rules is a basis for account suspension or termination, and the broadly worded prohibition on misuse gives Google significant discretion to determine what constitutes a violation.

Interpretive note: The scope of 'misuse' and prohibited access methods is not exhaustively defined in the base terms and may be clarified or extended by service-specific policies incorporated by reference.

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 warran…

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 d…

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Google's conduct rules are broadly written and violations can result in account suspension, cutting off access to all linked services. Users who engage in automated access, scraping, or other non-standard use patterns should be aware that these may be considered policy violations even if not explicitly prohibited in the terms.

How other platforms handle this

Twitch Medium

You agree that you will not: post, upload, transmit, or otherwise make available through the Twitch Services any content that is libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, abusive, harassing, threatening, hateful, objectionable with respect to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national o...

Meta Medium

You must not sell, license, or purchase User Data obtained from us. You must not transfer User Data obtained from us without our prior written permission except when: transferring to your service provider acting on your behalf and in compliance with this Policy; transferring as part of a merger, acq...

Venmo Medium

You may not use the Venmo services for any illegal purpose, to send money to any person or organization on a government sanctions list, for gambling, for purchasing or selling illegal goods or services, or for any activity that violates applicable law. You may not use Venmo for commercial transactio...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
When using our services, you must follow the policies made available to you within the services. Don't misuse our services. For example, don't interfere with our services or try to access them using a method other than the interface and the instructions that we provide. You may use our services only as permitted by law, including applicable export and re-export control laws and regulations.

— Excerpt from Google's Google Terms of Service

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The prohibition on accessing services through methods other than the provided interface interacts with the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) in the US, which has been interpreted in cases involving terms-of-service violations. The FTC Act applies to whether conduct rules are enforced in a fair and non-deceptive manner. Export control references engage the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and OFAC sanctions programs. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The broadly worded prohibition on misuse gives Google significant discretion in determining what conduct warrants suspension. For developers and enterprise users who use APIs or automated tools, the boundary between permitted and prohibited access methods may not be clearly defined in the base terms. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: The CFAA's applicability to terms-of-service violations has been subject to judicial interpretation in the US, with courts limiting its scope in some cases. Export control provisions create heightened exposure for users in sanctioned jurisdictions or those transferring technology internationally. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Developers and businesses using Google APIs should review the separate Google API Terms of Service for more specific conduct requirements. Enterprise customers should ensure their usage patterns comply with both the base terms and any applicable acceptable use policies to avoid account suspension. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Organizations that deploy automated or programmatic access to Google services should document their compliance with applicable API terms and usage policies. Export control compliance programs should encompass the use of Google services in international contexts.

Full compliance analysis

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

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC may evaluate whether Google's enforcement of broadly worded conduct rules is conducted fairly and transparently under the FTC Act.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CFAA
United States Federal
DMCA
United States Federal
DSA
European Union

Provision details

Document information
Document
Google Terms of Service
Entity
Google
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 9, 2026
Last verified
May 10, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-008556
Document ID
CA-D-00014
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
3e9df87933a5452ee230f0310e7e0e7eb0ae7eafe2a6321a89ed055eae2e7195
Analysis generated
May 9, 2026 14:45 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Google
Document: Google Terms of Service
Record ID: CA-P-008556
Captured: 2026-05-09 14:45:53 UTC
SHA-256: 3e9df87933a5452e…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/google/google-terms-of-service/user-conduct-and-prohibited-behavior/
Accessed: May 14, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Low
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Google's User Conduct and Prohibited Behavior clause do?

Violation of the conduct rules is a basis for account suspension or termination, and the broadly worded prohibition on misuse gives Google significant discretion to determine what constitutes a violation.

How does this clause affect you?

Google's conduct rules are broadly written and violations can result in account suspension, cutting off access to all linked services. Users who engage in automated access, scraping, or other non-standard use patterns should be aware that these may be considered policy violations even if not explicitly prohibited in the terms.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Google?

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