GoogleMaps Policy changes in EU

[Rollo62 595]

I've received this info from Google, 
 

Quote

Hello Google Maps Platform customer,

We're writing to let you know about some important updates to the Google Maps Platform (GMP) Terms of Service (ToS) and our product offerings for customers with any GMP project linked to a billing account with an address in the European Economic Area (EEA customers). These updates will be effective on 8 July 2025.

The changes to our terms are a result of a recent proceeding by Germany’s Bundeskartellamt (FCO) concerning the terms of the generally available GMP Services.
While their investigation did not confirm unlawful conduct by Google in the past, we are now required to update our terms for the future.

Here's a quick overview of what's changing on 8 July 2025:

It seems EU and Germany again had punished Google massively, so that they were forced to decide such quick changes. 
I'm unsure if those changes will affect running apps anyhow, which were not using the Places or other data points.

What I do use, is the simple Maps view w/ and w/o with markers, and some GeoReverse coding to receive real street names from the Lat/Lon values.
As far as I have checked until now, this would not do any harm to my existing simple apps, that uses maps as side-feature.

Maybe you have any deeper insights or experiences, please let me know.

Here is the info I received from Google:

English	Deutsch
Here's a quick overview of what's changing on 8 July 2025:	Hier ist ein kurzer Überblick über die Änderungen zum 8. Juli 2025:
Waiver of Three ToS Provisions: The following three provisions will be waived and, therefore, will no longer apply to your use of GMP Services:	Verzicht auf drei AGB-Bestimmungen: Die folgenden drei Bestimmungen werden aufgehoben und gelten daher nicht mehr für Ihre Nutzung der GMP-Dienste:
3.2.3(d) No Re-Creating Google Products or Features	3.2.3(d) Keine Nachbildung von Google-Produkten oder -Funktionen
3.2.3(e) No Use With Non-Google Maps	3.2.3(e) Keine Nutzung mit Nicht-Google-Karten
3.2.3(h) No Use in Embedded Vehicle Systems	3.2.3(h) Keine Nutzung in eingebetteten Fahrzeugsystemen
We'll also waive any similar clauses in other terms applicable to your use of GMP Services. Details regarding how this affects your current project integrations linked to an EEA billing account are outlined below.	Wir verzichten außerdem auf ähnliche Klauseln in anderen Bedingungen, die für Ihre Nutzung der GMP-Dienste gelten. Einzelheiten dazu, wie sich dies auf Ihre aktuellen Projektintegrationen mit einem EWR-Abrechnungskonto auswirkt, finden Sie unten.
Product Updates and Modifications: Due to the removal of these three industry-standard provisions and due to our standards for Google Maps Content, we will need to make adjustments to some of the GMP Services for new integrations within your Customer Applications. For example:	Produktaktualisierungen und Änderungen: Aufgrund der Aufhebung dieser drei branchenüblichen Bestimmungen und unserer Standards für Google Maps-Inhalte müssen wir einige GMP-Dienste für neue Integrationen in Ihren Kundenanwendungen anpassen. Zum Beispiel:
If you want to show Places-related content with a map, you should now use the new Places UI Kit, which works with any map (including third-party maps). The Google Maps Content from the Places API (new and legacy) may no longer be displayed with any map, including a Google Map.	Wenn Sie standortbezogene Inhalte zusammen mit einer Karte anzeigen möchten, sollten Sie jetzt das neue Places UI Kit verwenden, das mit jeder Karte funktioniert (einschließlich Karten von Drittanbietern). Die Google Maps-Inhalte aus der Places API (neu und alt) dürfen nicht mehr mit einer beliebigen Karte, einschließlich Google Maps, angezeigt werden.
EEA customers may now, where suitable, use GMP Services in embedded vehicle systems. They may also use GMP Services, where suitable, for real-time navigation with a third-party map, as long as that real-time navigation usage complies with Google’s safety requirements.	EWR-Kunden können GMP-Dienste nun gegebenenfalls in eingebetteten Fahrzeugsystemen nutzen. Sie können GMP-Dienste auch für die Echtzeitnavigation mit einer Drittanbieter-Karte verwenden, sofern diese Nutzung den Sicherheitsanforderungen von Google entspricht.
We're introducing an EEA-specific GMP ToS, including EEA Service Specific Terms that will govern your new GMP integrations.	Wir führen spezifische GMP-AGB für den EWR ein, einschließlich EWR-spezifischer Servicebedingungen, die Ihre neuen GMP-Integrationen regeln.
How this affects your current integrations:	Auswirkungen auf Ihre aktuellen Integrationen:
To help you with these changes, you may continue using GMP Services in your Customer Application for your current project’s GMP integrations, with the three ToS provisions waived, as long as your project’s GMP integration is not materially modified on or after 8 July 2025.	Um Sie bei diesen Änderungen zu unterstützen, können Sie GMP-Dienste in Ihrer Kundenanwendung für die aktuellen GMP-Integrationen Ihres Projekts weiterhin nutzen, wobei die drei AGB-Bestimmungen aufgehoben sind, solange Ihre GMP-Integration nicht am oder nach dem 8. Juli 2025 wesentlich geändert wird.
If you materially modify your project’s GMP integration on or after 8 July 2025, you will then need to accept the (new) EEA version of the GMP ToS to continue using GMP Services for the modified project.	Wenn Sie Ihre GMP-Integration am oder nach dem 8. Juli 2025 wesentlich ändern, müssen Sie die (neuen) EWR-AGB für GMP akzeptieren, um GMP-Dienste weiterhin für das geänderte Projekt nutzen zu können.
Additional information:	Weitere Informationen:
You’re receiving this notice because you have a project(s) linked to a billing account with an EEA address governed by our online ToS.	Sie erhalten diese Mitteilung, weil Sie ein Projekt haben, das mit einem Abrechnungskonto mit einer EWR-Adresse verknüpft ist und unseren Online-AGB unterliegt.
For more information about these product and terms changes, including how they affect you, please refer to our FAQ. More details regarding Places UI Kit can be found in our documentation.	Weitere Informationen zu diesen Produkt- und AGB-Änderungen, einschließlich deren Auswirkungen auf Sie, finden Sie in unseren FAQ. Weitere Details zum Places UI Kit finden Sie in unserer Dokumentation.
No action is needed for projects linked to billing accounts with an address outside of the EEA.	Für Projekte, die mit Abrechnungskonten außerhalb des EWR verknüpft sind, ist keine Aktion erforderlich.

 

 

 

Edited June 5 by Rollo62

[Anders Melander 2046]

As far as I can tell they've been forced to replace their proprietary APIs with standard APIs (in order to avoid vendor lock-in) and to allow competing third party applications access to their map data. Did I understand that right?

 

It seems Google has few friends in the map business; They aren't allowed to link to Google Maps from their Google search results - or even from the search page (which is pretty stupid and doesn't do the users any good), while the same restrictions doesn't apply to Bing. Could it be that Bing map data is provided by Tom-Tom?

[Attila Kovacs 675]

4 minutes ago, Anders Melander said:

They aren't allowed to link to Google Maps from their Google search results - or even from the search page

Ah, that's why I've been cursing lately.

 

[Rollo62 595]

Yes, it seems to be about the usage of the Places UI Kit.
https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/places-ui-kit/overview?hl=de

and the GMP GoogleMarketingPlatform
https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/platforms/gmp/ads_advertising/emea/
It seems to be related to GoogleMaps like this

Quote

Targeted advertising on Google Maps:

Adverts based on location: 
- GMP allows advertisers to place their adverts on Google Maps based on the user's location. 

Local search results:
- GMP can help positively impact local search results on Google Maps by placing relevant information and ads in search results. 

Campaign planning and optimisation:
- GMP provides tools to plan, execute and optimise marketing campaigns that include advertising activities on Google Maps. 

Data analysis:
- GMP supports the analysis of campaign performance, including the performance of ads on Google Maps, to optimise future campaigns. 

If an app make no use of any of these, I would assume that there is no further impact and no action required.
 

Edited June 6 by Rollo62