User Content and Conduct Policy

Google’s social and sharing products and services enable people from diverse backgrounds to start conversations, share experiences, collaborate on projects, and form new communities. Our policies play an important role in maintaining a positive experience for our users. Please follow these policies when using Google+ (including Google+ comments on other products such as Blogger), participating in public Hangouts or Hangouts on Air, sending Hangouts invitations, and sharing content by link through Google Photos (collectively referred to below as the “Services”).

We depend heavily upon users to let us know about content that may violate our policies. After we are notified of a potential policy violation, we may review the content and take action, including restricting access to the content, removing the content, and limiting or terminating a user’s access to Google products. Note that we may make exceptions to these policies based on artistic, educational, or documentary considerations, or when there are other substantial benefits to the public from not taking action.

We occasionally modify these policies, so please check back here for any updates. Beyond the policies listed below, note that several products and features may have additional policies and terms — please check the links provided for those additional requirements.

1. Illegal Activities

   Do not use our Services to engage in illegal activities or promote dangerous and illegal acts.

2. Malicious and Deceptive Practices

   Do not transmit viruses, malware, or any other malicious or destructive code. Do not distribute content that harms or interferes with the operation of the networks, servers, or other infrastructure of Google or others. Do not use our Services for phishing scams.

3. Hate Speech

   Our products are platforms for free expression. But we don't support content that promotes or condones violence against individuals or groups based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, nationality, veteran status, or sexual orientation/gender identity, or whose primary purpose is inciting hatred on the basis of these core characteristics. This can be a delicate balancing act, but if the primary purpose is to attack a protected group, the content crosses the line.

4. Personal and Confidential Information

   Do not distribute other people’s personal and confidential information, such as credit card numbers, confidential national ID numbers, or account passwords, without their permission.

5. Account Hijacking

   Do not access another user’s account without their permission.

6. Child Exploitation

   Do not upload or share content that exploits or abuses children. This includes all child sexual abuse imagery (even cartoon images) and all content that presents children in a sexual manner. We will remove such content and take appropriate action, which may include disabling accounts and reporting to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and law enforcement. Note that this policy may additionally apply to any content uploaded or transmitted through Google Photos.

   If you find any content that you think exploits children in this manner, do not +1, reshare or comment on such content, even if your intent is to bring it to Google’s attention. Instead, flag the content through the ‘Report Abuse’ link. If you find content elsewhere on the internet, please contact NCMEC directly.

7. Spam

   Do not spam, including by sending unwanted promotional or commercial content, or unwanted or mass solicitation.

   Do not aggressively add people to your circles or aggressively message people that you do not know.

8. Ranking Manipulation

   Do not manipulate ranking or relevancy using techniques like repetitive or misleading keywords or metadata.

9. Sexually Explicit Material

   Do not distribute sexually explicit or pornographic material. Do not drive traffic to commercial pornography sites.

   We do allow naturalistic and documentary depictions of nudity (such as an image of a breastfeeding infant), as well as depictions of nudity that serve a clear educational, scientific, or artistic purpose.

   Note that your profile photo cannot include mature or offensive content. For example, do not use a photo that is a close-up of a person’s buttocks or cleavage.

10. Harassment, Bullying, and Threats

    Do not engage in harassing, bullying, or threatening behavior, and do not incite others to engage in these activities. Anyone using our Services to single someone out for malicious abuse, to threaten someone with serious harm, to sexualize a person in an unwanted way, or to harass in other ways may have the offending content removed or be permanently banned from using the Services. In emergency situations, we may escalate imminent threats of serious harm to law enforcement. Keep in mind that online harassment is also illegal in many places and can have serious offline consequences for both the harasser and the victim.

    Learn more about additional steps that you can take to stop harassment and bullying on Google+.

11. Violence

    Do not distribute depictions of graphic or gratuitous violence.

12. Impersonation

    Do not use our Services to mislead or confuse users by pretending to be someone else or pretending to represent an organization you do not represent. Learn more about Impersonation on Google+.

13. Regulated Goods and Services

    Our Services enable discussion of many topics, but not every topic is appropriate for all ages or in all countries. Because the promotion of certain products and services is heavily regulated, we have created tools to help you target your content to users of the appropriate ages in the right markets.

    If your content promotes regulated goods and services, including alcohol, gambling, pharmaceuticals and unapproved supplements, tobacco, fireworks, weapons, or health/medical devices, you are responsible for applying the appropriate age and geographical restrictions for that content. If we receive a complaint that such content is targeting audiences in violation of applicable laws and regulations, we may remove or restrict the offending content or account.

    With the appropriate age and geographical restrictions in place, we allow discussion and promotion of these goods, but we do not allow the facilitation of the sale of the products listed above.

    Learn more about audience settings on Google+.

14. Contests and Promotions

    Any contests, sweepstakes, or other such promotions must comply with our Contests and Promotions Policy page.

15. Use of Multiple Accounts

    Do not create or use multiple accounts to evade our policies or bypass blocks or otherwise subvert restrictions placed on your account. For example, if you’ve been blocked by another user or suspended for abuse, don’t create a replacement account that engages in similar activity.

About our Policies and Terms

These policies apply generally to the content you post on our Services. Some services have their own separate policies that can be found within those services and apply to your use of them. All Google products and services are governed by their applicable terms of service.

Reporting Potential Issues

If you encounter content or a user that you believe violates the above policies, please report it to us using the “Report Abuse” link (or similarly named link). Learn more about reporting abuse on Google+, Hangouts invitations, and Google Photos.