At Google, we take reports of illegal behavior and inappropriate content seriously. We may suspend a user's access to our products and services in response to a valid legal removal report about pervasive or egregious illegal activity. This article outlines Google's process for managing account suspensions that result from valid legal removal requests, particularly when Google is under a legal obligation to act.
When Legal Account Suspensions Might Occur
Google may suspend an account upon receiving a valid legal request from a court or government entity that legally obligates us to do so. These situations typically arise under the following circumstances:
- Court Orders: We receive an order from a court of competent jurisdiction mandating the suspension of a user's account.
- Valid Government Requests: A government agency or law enforcement body submits a valid request that demonstrates a clear legal basis for an account suspension.
- Pervasive or Egregious Illegal Activity: The legal request provides sufficient evidence that the account is being used to conduct or facilitate widespread, repeated, or egregious illegal activities.
Receiving Legal Requests for Account Suspensions
Google exclusively accepts legal requests for user account suspensions from government entities and courts. These requests must be submitted via our Legal web forms, clearly articulate their legal basis, and demonstrate a legal obligation for Google to take action against the account. We employ a thorough review process for all such requests, complying only with those that are valid under applicable law and consistent with our policies.
Enforcing Account Suspensions
Upon receiving a valid legal request necessitating a user's account suspension, we will act as required by law and in accordance with our policies. This may involve suspending a user’s account in part or in full, thereby preventing the user from accessing some or all of our products. When an account is suspended for legal reasons, we will generally notify the user of the action and its underlying cause, ensuring this information is provided in a manner that respects both the legal process and applicable law.
As part of Google's transparency efforts, a copy of each legal request we receive may be sent to Lumen for publication. You can learn more about government content removal requests in Google's Transparency Report.
Consequences of a Legally Mandated Account Suspension
You will be informed of the suspension via the email address linked to your account. If you cannot access the email address associated with your account, a notification containing information about the suspension will appear when you attempt to log in.
The consequences will vary based on the type of suspension:
- Product-Specific Account Suspension: If an account associated with a particular Google product (e.g., Google Ads, Google Play, Google Maps, or Google Cloud) is suspended for legal reasons you will lose access to that specific product. However, you will still be able to use other Google products for which you have not been suspended and can continue to use your Google Account for authentication with third-party applications. For instance, a suspended Google Ads account will cease ad campaigns, and you may be barred from creating new accounts in the same or other Google products. Any new accounts you attempt to create may also face suspension. Data within certain products may be restricted or removed as mandated by the legal request.
- Google Account Suspension: If your entire Google account is suspended for legal reasons, you will be prohibited from accessing all Google products and services, as well as any of your account information. For example, this means you can no longer log in to your Google Ads, Google Analytics, or Google Cloud accounts. It's important to note that the accounts themselves are not automatically deleted.
Appealing a Suspension
The availability of an internal appeal may not always be guaranteed, as it depends on the specific law and jurisdiction involved. A suspension due to a legal order differs from a policy suspension, where an appeal might be possible, because Google may be obligated by law to suspend your account. In such cases you may wish to consult a lawyer and explore appeal or other redress options with the court, regulator, or other legal authority that required Google to suspend your account.
Duration of a Suspension
Suspensions for legal reasons are generally considered permanent unless Google receives official notification, following due legal process, that permits the account to be reinstated.
Scope of Account Suspensions
Suspensions legally mandated by a valid request will typically apply only within the jurisdiction where the law is effective. However, for certain products, accounts may be suspended globally. A complete user (Google account) suspension will also result in a global suspension.