Taking action to maintain safety

To prevent abuse and harm on our products and services, we remain proactive and alert. We take special care to understand when users may be particularly vulnerable and take action when abuse is present.

Understanding enforcement

How enforcement works

To enforce our policies at scale, we rely on a combination of automated and human tools to spot problematic content and invalid traffic. We escalate particularly complex cases to specially-trained experts.

To detect child sexual abuse material on our platforms, we rely on two equally important technologies to help us proactively identify child sexual abuse material: hash matching and artificial intelligence. We also have a team of highly specialized and trained content reviewers and subject matter experts who help ensure that our technology delivers accurate results.

Google Search uses automation to deal with policy-violating content. Our search algorithms are designed to prioritize what seems to be the most useful and reliable content in response to particular queries. Our systems are also designed not to surface content that violates our content policies.

An illustration of the enforcement process from automated technology monitoring to human experts.

Types of enforcement actions

To support information and content quality on our products and services, we take a wide range of enforcement actions to maintain a trusted experience for all. Enforcement actions differ from product to product. Learn more about different types of enforcement actions we may take when a piece of content violates our policies.

Content actions

Demonetization

We may limit the monetization opportunities for a particular piece of content.

Restrictions

Some products may use interstitials before content or age-gating to protect children from mature content.

Removal

Content is made inaccessible to everyone and deleted from the product or service entirely.

Demonetization

We may limit the monetization opportunities for a particular piece of content.

Restrictions

Some products may use interstitials before content or age-gating to protect children from mature content.

Removal

Content is made inaccessible to everyone and deleted from the product or service entirely.

Account actions

Service pause

A service is paused and marked temporarily unusable due to an incomplete required action. The service will be unpaused once the action is successfully completed.

Account disable

As a last resort, a user's entire Google Account is disabled, preventing the user from logging into any Google products or services.

Service pause

A service is paused and marked temporarily unusable due to an incomplete required action. The service will be unpaused once the action is successfully completed.

Account disable

As a last resort, a user's entire Google Account is disabled, preventing the user from logging into any Google products or services.

Legal removal requests

Legal removals

We have processes in place to comply with local laws. If you see content on a Google product that you believe violates local law, let us know.

Legal removals

We have processes in place to comply with local laws. If you see content on a Google product that you believe violates local law, let us know.

Learn how we partner with experts to fight harm online

View partner programs

Content Feedback and Reporting

Collaboration is critical to enforcement

To identify emerging harms and how our existing policies address those, we often incorporate expert input, priority flaggers input and user feedback.

Collaboration is critical to enforcement

To identify emerging harms and how our existing policies address those, we often incorporate expert input, priority flaggers input and user feedback.

Approach to reporting and user feedback Incorporating user feedback

Users are able to give feedback and report content across our products, but this doesn’t guarantee removal or any other action on Google’s part.

If you spot content within a Google Product that is violative

Let us know by submitting a report in the proper product channels detailing the violation

We'll review the content and take any appropriate action

If you spot content within a Google Product that is violative

Let us know by submitting a report in the proper product channels detailing the violation

We'll review the content and take any appropriate action

Find the tools and forms to report a violation

Go to reporting

Appeals

The opportunity to appeal

Users can appeal content and account restrictions in certain circumstances when they believe we have made a mistake.

An illustrated smartphone shows the beginning of the appeal process for flagged content.

The opportunity to appeal

Users can appeal content and account restrictions in certain circumstances when they believe we have made a mistake.

Process of appeals

Users may be able to submit an appeal which will be sent for review. Access more information below on appeal and review processes.

If you receive a violation notification or email, you may have the opportunity to appeal

You may be able to submit an appeal to reinstate or unrestrict your content if you believe the violation was a mistake or if you have taken corrective actions

We'll evaluate the appeal and notify you of the outcome of the appeal.

If you receive a violation notification or email, you may have the opportunity to appeal

You may be able to submit an appeal to reinstate or unrestrict your content if you believe the violation was a mistake or if you have taken corrective actions

We'll evaluate the appeal and notify you of the outcome of the appeal.

Find tools and forms to submit an appeal

Go to appeals