What do you need to do?
If you’re under the age required to manage your own Google Account: Google sent an email to your parent or guardian so that they can help you understand the updates better. You have to discuss with your parent or guardian about it just to decide if you need to do anything different with your account.
If you’re a parent or guardian, and you allow your child to use the services: You have to review the updates to the terms with your child and help them decide whether they need to make any changes to their account. And remember that these terms apply to you and they’re responsible for your child’s activity on the services.
If you’re the administrator of a Google Workspace corporate or educational account and you’ve enabled your users to access Google Additional Services: Their new Terms of Service won’t affect the Google Workspace agreement between Google and your organization. These new terms will only apply to those users to whom you’ve given access to Google Additional Services. You can always manage whether your users have access to Google Additional Services, and which ones, in your Admin console.
If you’re a Google Workspace reseller whose customers have enabled their users to access Google Additional Services: Their new Terms of Service won’t affect your Google Workspace agreement with your customers. These new terms will only apply to your customers’ users who’ve been given access to Google Additional Services. Your customers can always manage whether their users have access to Google Additional Services, and which ones, in their Admin console.
If you’re any other user of the services: You have to double your account and read the email to understand their updated terms and your options for further action. If you agree to the new terms, no further action is needed.
What’s changing?
You can review the new Google Terms of Service here. At a glance, here’s what this update covers:
Generative AI terms: They’re moving their existing Generative AI Additional Terms to their main Terms of Service and adding other AI-related clarifications. For example – they won’t claim ownership over original content generated by their AI-powered services.
More clarity on abusive activity: They’re providing more examples and details about abuse and interference with their services that isn’t allowed.
More details on limitations of liability: For users outside the US, they’re adding clarifications to their limitations of liability and indemnity sections to avoid any misunderstandings in light of local laws or customs.
More clarity on disputes: They’re clarifying that if you violate their terms, their remedies aren’t limited to suspension or termination of your access to the services, but may include other remedies under applicable law. If problems or disputes arise between them about these terms, you’ll have the opportunity to describe the issues and address them.
Updates to reflect how their services work: They’re adding language about how their services work and updating certain Google service brand names that have changed over time.