Google uses information to respond to fraud, abuse and security risks, and may disable accounts or report to authorities
Google uses information to improve the safety and reliability of its services, including detecting, preventing and responding to fraud, abuse, security risks and technical issues that could harm Google, its users or the public. Elsewhere Google says that when it detects spam, malware, illegal content (including child sexual abuse and exploitation material) or other abuse in violation of its policies, it may disable your account or take other appropriate action, and in certain circumstances may also report the violation to appropriate authorities.
Supporting quotations
We use information to help improve the safety and reliability of our services.
detecting, preventing, and responding to fraud, abuse, security risks, and technical issues that could harm Google, our users, or the public
we may disable your account or take other appropriate action
we may also report the violation to appropriate authorities
Qualifications & exceptions
Account disabling and reporting are described as things Google "may" do and only in the context of detected violations.
Not stated here
The policy does not describe the process for appealing an account action here.
Security & Safeguards · Company practice
Google describes built-in security, encryption in transit, account security features and reviews of its practices
Google says all its products are built with strong security features that continuously protect your information, and that insights from running its services help it detect and automatically block security threats. If it detects something risky that it thinks you should know about, it says it will notify you and guide you through steps to stay protected. It lists measures to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure or destruction of information: encryption to keep data private in transit; security features such as Safe Browsing, Security Checkup and 2 Step Verification that you can use to protect your account; and reviews of its information collection, storage and processing practices, including physical security measures, to prevent unauthorized access to its systems.
Supporting quotations
All Google products are built with strong security features that continuously protect your information.
if we do detect something risky that we think you should know about, we’ll notify you and help guide you through steps to stay better protected
We work hard to protect you and Google from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of information we hold, including:
We use encryption to keep your data private while in transit
We offer a range of security features, like
We review our information collection, storage, and processing practices, including physical security measures, to prevent unauthorized access to our systems
Qualifications & exceptions
These are descriptions of Google's practices and features, not a guarantee that no unauthorized access or loss will occur.
Encryption is stated for data in transit; the policy does not say here that data at rest is encrypted.
Not stated here
The policy does not state encryption practices for stored data.
Security & Safeguards · Company commitment
Google limits access to personal information to staff and agents who need it, under confidentiality duties
Google says it restricts access to personal information to Google employees, contractors and agents who need that information in order to process it. It says anyone with this access is subject to strict contractual confidentiality obligations and may be disciplined or terminated if they fail to meet them.
Supporting quotations
We restrict access to personal information to Google employees, contractors, and agents who need that information in order to process it.
Anyone with this access is subject to strict contractual confidentiality obligations and may be disciplined or terminated if they fail to meet these obligations.
Qualifications & exceptions
Access is described as need-based; the policy does not describe how access is audited.
Security & Safeguards · Company practice
If Google detects spam, malware, illegal content or other abuse, it may disable your account or report to authorities
When Google detects spam, malware, illegal content (including child sexual abuse and exploitation material) or other forms of abuse on its systems in violation of its policies, it says it may disable your account or take other appropriate action. In certain circumstances it may also report the violation to appropriate authorities.
Supporting quotations
When we detect spam, malware, illegal content
and other forms of abuse on our systems in violation of our policies, we may disable your account or take other appropriate action
In certain circumstances, we may also report the violation to appropriate authorities.
Qualifications & exceptions
"May" and "in certain circumstances" are the policy's own limits.
Security & Safeguards · Company practice
Information about security threats can help Google notify you if your account may be compromised
Google gives the example that information about security threats can help it notify you if it thinks your account has been compromised, at which point it can help you take steps to protect your account.
Supporting quotations
information about security threats can help us notify you if we think your account has been compromised
Security & Safeguards · Company practice
IP and cookie analysis guards against automated abuse; Gmail shows recent account activity including IP addresses
Google gives examples of using information for safety and reliability. It collects and analyzes IP addresses and cookie data to protect against automated abuse such as sending spam to Gmail users, fraudulent clicking on ads and denial-of-service attacks. The "last account activity" feature in Gmail can help you find out if and when someone accessed your email without your knowledge, showing recent activity such as the IP addresses that accessed your mail, the associated location, and the date and time of access.
Supporting quotations
Collecting and analyzing IP addresses and cookie data to protect against automated abuse.
The “last account activity” feature in Gmail can help you find out if and when someone accessed your email without your knowledge.
This feature shows you information about recent activity in Gmail, such as the IP addresses that accessed your mail, the associated location, and the date and time of access.
Security & Safeguards · Context
Google operates data centers around the world to keep products available
Google says it operates data centers located around the world to help keep its products continuously available to users.