{
  "slug": "google-search",
  "category": "search-engines",
  "name": "Google Search",
  "description": "Google's web search engine. Searches are linked to accounts, cookies and devices to personalize results and ads.",
  "website": "https://www.google.com",
  "license": null,
  "platforms": [],
  "jurisdiction": {
    "code": "US",
    "name": "United States",
    "eyes": "Five Eyes",
    "eu": false,
    "gdpr": false,
    "cloud_act": "provider"
  },
  "pick": false,
  "pick_reason": null,
  "disclosure": null,
  "grade": "F",
  "score": 25,
  "coverage": 100,
  "summary": "Google Search scores 25 out of 100 (grade F) on the search engines criteria. It meets 2 of 11 criteria: transparency report and tells users about requests. It partly meets TLS configuration, no profile-based ads and no account needed. It does not meet open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales, independent audit, security headers and no search history logs. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act. Automated tests: SSL Labs grade B and Mozilla HTTP Observatory grade C.",
  "url": "https://privacyratings.com/search-engines/google-search/",
  "markdown": "https://privacyratings.com/search-engines/google-search/index.md",
  "answers": {
    "open_source": {
      "title": "Open source",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Closed source."
    },
    "no_trackers": {
      "title": "No trackers or telemetry",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": "https://policies.google.com/privacy",
      "note": "Search activity is collected with cookie, device and account identifiers for personalization and ads, and this cannot be fully turned off."
    },
    "no_ads": {
      "title": "No ads or data sales",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": "https://policies.google.com/privacy",
      "note": "Funded by advertising."
    },
    "independent_audit": {
      "title": "Independent audit",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "No independent audit is published."
    },
    "transparency_report": {
      "title": "Transparency report",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "yes",
      "evidence": "https://transparencyreport.google.com/user-data/overview",
      "note": "Google publishes counts of government requests for user data and how it responds, updated twice a year."
    },
    "user_notice": {
      "title": "Tells users about requests",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "yes",
      "evidence": "https://policies.google.com/terms/information-requests",
      "note": "Google emails the user before disclosing data in response to a government request, unless prohibited by law."
    },
    "tls": {
      "title": "TLS configuration",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "partial",
      "evidence": "https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/analyze.html?d=www.google.com&hideResults=on",
      "note": "Grade B"
    },
    "security_headers": {
      "title": "Security headers",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": "https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/observatory/analyze?host=www.google.com",
      "note": "Grade C (55/100+)"
    },
    "web_standards": {
      "title": "Modern web standards",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "pending",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Not tested yet."
    },
    "no_search_logs": {
      "title": "No search history logs",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": "https://policies.google.com/technologies/retention",
      "note": "Searches are tied to accounts and cookies; server logs keep part of the IP address for 9 months and cookie data for 18 months."
    },
    "no_personalized_ads": {
      "title": "No profile-based ads",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "partial",
      "evidence": "https://policies.google.com/privacy",
      "note": "Personalized ads are on by default and can be turned off in Google account settings."
    },
    "no_account_needed": {
      "title": "No account needed",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "partial",
      "evidence": "https://policies.google.com/privacy",
      "note": "Search works without an account; saved history and some personalized features need a Google account."
    }
  },
  "tests": {
    "ssllabs": "B",
    "observatory": "C",
    "internetnl_web": null,
    "internetnl_mail": null,
    "trackers": [],
    "tested_at": "2026-10-01T07:03:55.674Z"
  },
  "last_modified": "2026-10-01T07:44:20Z"
}