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Google

google.com

D

Where this can follow you

Names that appear in this document for other apps, parks, stores, or brands. A click here can be used there.

  • Affiliates and sister brands

People also accept these terms in

The same company terms often apply on these apps or devices. This is a lookup aid, not a claim we caught this company.

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Open the original (new tab)How Google uses cookies – Privacy & Terms – Google
C

Risk score

34of 100

Read Oct 2, 2026

In short

  • Google uses cookies to store information on your device to remember preferences, maintain security, and show personalized ads.
  • They also use these technologies to track how you interact with their services to measure statistics and improve features.
  • The document does not limit data retention for ad identifiers to a fixed short period but rather sets specific expiration times based on region or usage.

What you accept

If you use this site

Everyday words for the material promises and rights you give up. Each line includes a quote from the document.

Fineprint cannot see whether you agreed. This page is posted on their site. Open the original if you need to know how they say it applies.

  1. 01

    You are agreeing that Google can store cookies and similar technologies on your browser, app, or device to function, secure, analyze, and advertise.

    This product

    “Google may store or use some or all of the cookies or similar technologies in your browser, app, or device for the purposes described below.”
  2. 02

    You are agreeing that Google and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to show ads and personalize content based on your settings.

    This product

    “These cookies also are used for limiting the number of times an ad is shown to a user, muting ads you have chosen to stop seeing, and delivering and measuring the effectiveness of ads.”

What it can cost you

Downsides we could quote

Quoted clauses that can affect your privacy, money, or right to go to court — including terms that follow you to other products.

Highest-cost clauses first

High cost

Tracking you across apps

You are agreeing to let Google place cookies on non-Google sites to track your behavior for advertising purposes.

“The ‘NID’ cookie can be used to show ads in Google services for signed-out users... The ‘IDE’ and ‘id’ cookies are used to show Google ads on non-Google sites.”

What that means: Your browsing activity on third-party websites is tracked to deliver personalized advertisements.

Google places cookies on non-Google websites through its advertising platform. These cookies allow Google to identify users across different sites to serve targeted ads.

Medium cost

Location or sensitive-data over-collection

You are agreeing that cookies may send your precise location information to Google if you have location turned on.

“Another cookie, ‘UULE’, sends precise location information from your browser to Google’s servers so that Google can show you results that are relevant to your location.”

What that means: Your precise physical location is collected and sent to Google via cookies when enabled in browser settings.

The document explicitly states that a specific cookie sends precise location data from your browser to Google's servers.

Medium cost

Cookie consent that favors Accept

You are agreeing that disabling browser cookies is insufficient to stop ad personalization and requires separate action.

“But note that even if cookies are removed or disabled in your browser, Google may use cookie-based information or other advertising technologies to personalize ads unless you change your ads settings...”

What that means: Turning off cookies in your browser may not stop ad tracking because Google offers alternative methods to continue personalizing ads.

Disabling cookies in the browser does not stop personalization; users must separately adjust ad settings in Google's own tools to stop ad targeting.

Lower cost

Indefinite retention

You are agreeing to let advertising identification cookies persist on your device for periods ranging from several months to two years.

“The ‘IDE,’ and ‘id’ cookies last for 13 months in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (UK), and 24 months everywhere else.”

What that means: Advertising tracking cookies remain active on your device for up to two years without further interaction.

While expiration dates are provided, they can be quite long (up to 24 months) for advertising identifiers outside specific regions.

If these terms already apply to you

Keep this list. Fineprint cannot undo or cancel something you already agreed to at the company.

We cannot see Agree on their site. With Premium, tap “I accepted these terms” if you already agreed to what Google asks.

News for this company

First readings and wording changes we could quote — the same items that appear on News.

All News

  1. Updated · Cookie notice

    Google cookie notice changed

    We quoted 3 wording changes below. The grade moved from B to C.

    Wording we could quote

    • Changed

      Tracking you across apps

      Was

      “Similar technologies, including unique identifiers used to identify an app or device, pixel tags, and local storage, can perform the same function.”

      Now

      “The ‘NID’ cookie can be used to show ads in Google services for signed-out users... The ‘IDE’ and ‘id’ cookies are used to show Google ads on non-Google sites.”

    • Appeared

      Indefinite retention

      “The ‘IDE,’ and ‘id’ cookies last for 13 months in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (UK), and 24 months everywhere else.”

    • Appeared

      Cookie consent that favors Accept

      “But note that even if cookies are removed or disabled in your browser, Google may use cookie-based information or other advertising technologies to personalize ads unless you change your ads settings...”

    Oct 2, 2026 · C

    Company pageSee what changed

  2. Updated · Privacy policy

    Google privacy policy changed

    We quoted 4 wording changes below. The grade moved from C to B.

    Wording we could quote

    • Changed

      Tracking you across apps

      Was

      “For example, if you search for “mountain bikes,” you may see ads for sports equipment on YouTube. Depending on your account settings, your activity on other sites and apps may be associated with your personal information in order to improve Google’s services and the ads delivered by Google.”

      Now

      “Activity on third-party sites and apps that use our services”

    • Changed

      Indefinite retention

      Was

      “And some data we retain for longer periods of time when necessary for legitimate business or legal purposes, such as security, fraud and abuse prevention, or financial record-keeping.”

      Now

      “Because of this, there may be delays between when you delete something and when copies are deleted from our active and backup systems.”

    • Changed

      Location or sensitive-data over-collection

      Was

      “Depending on these settings, this may include precise location data, for example GPS data for Android features like navigation or finding your phone.”

      Now

      “Geolocation data, such as may be determined by GPS, IP address, and other data from sensors on or around your device... precise location data”

    • No longer quoted

      Health or fitness data used beyond care

      “Health information if you choose to provide it, such as your medical history, vital signs and health metrics (like blood glucose levels)... in the course of using Google services that offer health-related features, such as the Google Health Studies app, Fitbit, or Pixel devices.”

    Oct 2, 2026 · B

    Company pageSee what changed

  3. Updated · Privacy policy

    Google privacy policy changed

    We quoted 6 wording changes below. The current grade is C.

    Wording we could quote

    • Changed

      Tracking you across apps

      Was

      “We may use the information we collect across our services and across your devices for the purposes described above.”

      Now

      “For example, if you search for “mountain bikes,” you may see ads for sports equipment on YouTube. Depending on your account settings, your activity on other sites and apps may be associated with your personal information in order to improve Google’s services and the ads delivered by Google.”

    • Changed

      Location or sensitive-data over-collection

      Was

      “Geolocation data... this may include precise location data, for example GPS data for Android features like navigation...”

      Now

      “Depending on these settings, this may include precise location data, for example GPS data for Android features like navigation or finding your phone.”

    • Changed

      Indefinite retention

      Was

      “Some data you can delete whenever you like... We’ll keep this data in your Google Account until you remove it or choose to have it removed.”

      Now

      “And some data we retain for longer periods of time when necessary for legitimate business or legal purposes, such as security, fraud and abuse prevention, or financial record-keeping.”

    • No longer quoted

      Difficult or incomplete deletion

      “When you delete data, we follow a deletion process... there may be delays between when you delete something and when copies are deleted from our active and backup systems.”

    • No longer quoted

      Cookie consent that favors Accept

      “However, some website features or services may not function properly without cookies.”

    • Appeared

      Health or fitness data used beyond care

      “Health information if you choose to provide it, such as your medical history, vital signs and health metrics (like blood glucose levels)... in the course of using Google services that offer health-related features, such as the Google Health Studies app, Fitbit, or Pixel devices.”

    Oct 1, 2026 · C

    Company pageSee what changed

  4. First reading · Privacy policy

    We read the Google privacy policy

    Fineprint found 4 quoted privacy clauses that match the consumer rubric. This is a reading aid, not legal advice.

    Sep 2, 2026 · D

    Company pageSee what changed

  5. First reading · Cookie notice

    We read the Google cookie notice

    This document explains how Google uses cookies and similar technologies across its services and partner sites. It details how these tools help remember your preferences, keep your account secure, analyze how you interact with services, and deliver personalized advertising. By using Google's services, you are consenting to these various practices.

    Sep 2, 2026 · F

    Company pageSee what changed

  6. First reading · Terms of use

    We read the Google terms of use

    This document outlines what you can expect from Google and what they expect from you when using their services. By agreeing, you grant Google broad rights to use your uploaded content, including for ads and new features. It also significantly limits Google's liability and applies across many of their products and services.

    Sep 2, 2026 · F

    Company pageSee what changed