Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Commitments We have certain content licensing agreements with future fixed or minimum guaranteed commitments of $7.7 billion as of December 31, 2025, of which the majority is paid quarterly through the first quarter of 2030. Financial Guarantees We provide financial guarantees to certain counterparties, in the form of backstop agreements with varying terms through August 2026. These backstop agreements support counterparty procurement of long-lead time equipment for our future power purchase agreements. As of December 31, 2025, our maximum potential amount of future payments under these guarantees was $5.7 billion, upon which we may receive certain assets. The fair value of these obligations was not material. Indemnifications In the normal course of business, including to facilitate transactions in our services and products and corporate activities, we indemnify certain parties, including advertisers, Google Network partners, distribution partners, customers of Google Cloud offerings, lessors, and service providers with respect to certain matters. We have agreed to defend and/or indemnify certain parties against losses arising from a breach of representations or covenants, or out of intellectual property infringement or other claims made against certain parties. Several of these agreements limit the time within which an indemnification claim can be made and the amount of the claim. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our officers and directors, and our bylaws contain similar indemnification obligations to our agents. It is not possible to make a reasonable estimate of the maximum potential amount under these indemnification agreements due to the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. Additionally, the payments we have made under such agreements have not had a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows, or financial position. However, to the extent that valid indemnification claims arise in the future, future payments by us could be significant and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or cash flows in a particular period. As of December 31, 2025, we did not have any material indemnification claims that were probable or reasonably possible. Legal Matters We record a liability when we believe that it is probable that a loss has been incurred, and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If we determine that a loss is reasonably possible and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the reasonably possible loss. We evaluate developments in our legal matters that could affect the amount of liability that has been previously accrued, and the matters and related reasonably possible losses disclosed, and make adjustments as appropriate. Certain outstanding matters seek speculative, substantial, or indeterminate monetary amounts, substantial changes to our business practices and products, or structural remedies. Significant judgment is required to determine both the likelihood of there being a loss and the estimated amount of a loss related to such matters, and we may be unable to estimate the reasonably possible loss or range of losses. The outcomes of outstanding legal matters are inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties, and could, either individually or in aggregate, have a material adverse effect. We expense legal fees in the period in which they are incurred. Antitrust Matters We are subject to formal and informal inquiries and investigations as well as litigation on various competition matters by regulatory authorities and private parties in the US, Europe, and other jurisdictions globally, including the following: •Shopping: In June 2017, the EC announced its decision that certain actions taken by Google relating to its display and ranking of shopping search results and ads infringed European antitrust laws and imposed a €2.4 billion fine. In 2024, we made a cash payment of $3.0 billion for the fine. •Android: In July 2018, the EC announced its decision that certain provisions in Google's Android-related distribution agreements infringed European antitrust laws, imposed a €4.3 billion fine, and directed the termination of the conduct at issue. We appealed the EC decision and implemented changes to certain of our Android distribution practices. In September 2022, the General Court affirmed the EC decision but reduced the fine from €4.3 billion to €4.1 billion. We subsequently appealed the General Court's affirmation of the EC decision with the European Court of Justice, which remains pending. In 2018, we recognized a charge of $5.1 billion for the fine, which we reduced by $217 million in 2022. •AdSense for Search: In March 2019, the EC announced its decision that certain provisions in Google's agreements with AdSense for Search partners infringed European antitrust laws, imposed a €1.5 billion fine, and directed actions related to AdSense for Search partners' agreements, which we implemented prior to the decision. In 2019, we recognized a charge of $1.7 billion for the fine and appealed the EC decision. In September 2024, the General Court overturned the EC decision and annulled the €1.5 billion fine. The EC has appealed the General Court's decision with the European Court of Justice. •Search: In October 2020, the DOJ and a number of state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia concerning Google's Search and Search advertising practices and its compliance with US antitrust laws. In August 2024, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled against Google. A final judgment was entered in December 2025, which, among other things, imposes restrictions on how Google distributes its services and requires Google to share certain search data with and offer syndication services to certain competitors. In January 2026, we appealed the final judgment and moved to pause implementation of certain remedies. In February 2026, the DOJ and state Attorneys General also appealed. Further, in June 2022, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) opened an investigation into Search distribution practices. In August 2025, we agreed to a settlement with the ACCC requiring, among other things, changes to our Android agreements. We recognized a charge in the second quarter of 2025, and the settlement was approved by the court in December 2025. In October 2023, the Japanese Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) opened an investigation into Search distribution practices. In April 2025, the JFTC issued a cease-and-desist order requiring us to make changes to our Android agreements to ensure they are consistent with Japanese antitrust law. The JFTC did not impose monetary penalties. •Advertising Technology: In December 2020, a number of state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas concerning Google's advertising technology and its compliance with US antitrust laws and state deceptive trade laws. In January 2023, the DOJ, along with a number of state Attorneys General, filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia concerning Google's advertising technology and its compliance with US antitrust laws, and a number of additional state Attorneys General subsequently joined the lawsuit. In April 2025, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued a mixed decision in the DOJ case against Google, ruling that neither Google's advertiser tools nor the DoubleClick and AdMeld acquisitions were anticompetitive, but that Google's publisher tools unfairly excluded rivals. A separate proceeding to determine remedies, the range of which vary widely, took place in September 2025, with the parties presenting differing remedy proposals. The DOJ's remedy proposal includes structural remedies that could have a material adverse effect on our business. Closing arguments were held in November 2025, and we are awaiting a final judgment. After that judgment, we plan to appeal the adverse portion of the April 2025 decision and potentially aspects of the remedies decision. A trial in the state Attorneys General case in the Eastern District of Texas will take place after a decision on remedies is issued in the DOJ case. Given the nature of these matters, we cannot estimate a possible loss. Further, in September 2025, the EC announced its decision that Google had infringed European competition laws through "self-preferencing" practices on the buy-side and the sell-side relating to Google's advertising technology business. The EC decision imposed a €3.0 billion fine and directed Google to cease and desist the alleged "self-preferencing" practices. We appealed the ruling in November 2025. We recognized a charge of $3.5 billion in the third quarter of 2025, and we placed bank guarantees in the fourth quarter of 2025 in lieu of cash payment. In September 2024, the UK also issued a Statement of Objections concerning Google's advertising technology and its compliance with UK antitrust laws, to which we responded. •Google Play: In July 2021, a number of state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California concerning Google’s operation of Android and Google Play and its compliance with US antitrust laws and state antitrust and consumer protection laws. In September 2023, we reached a settlement in principle with 50 state Attorneys General and three territories and recognized a charge. The court preliminarily approved the settlement in November 2025, and final approval remains pending before the court. In May 2024, we funded the settlement amount to an escrow agent. In December 2023, a California jury delivered a verdict against Google in Epic Games v. Google related to Google Play's business. Epic did not seek monetary damages. The presiding judge issued a remedies decision in October 2024, ordering a variety of alterations to our business models and operations and contractual agreements for Android and Google Play. We appealed the judgment, including the jury verdict and aspects of the remedies ordered, and in July 2025, the Court of Appeals denied our appeal. We are in the process of appealing that decision to the US Supreme Court, and we implemented the ordered remedies in October 2025 while the appeal is pending. In October 2025, we reached a settlement with Epic to modify the remedies in this case and resolve certain other lawsuits Epic has filed regarding Google Play's business. The settlement is contingent on the court approving a proposed modified injunction. Epic and Google filed a joint motion to modify the injunction in November 2025, which is currently pending before the court. •European Digital Markets Act: In March 2024, the EC opened two investigations regarding Google's compliance with certain provisions of the EU's Digital Markets Act relating to Google Play and Search. In March 2025, the EC issued preliminary findings of non-compliance in both investigations, to which we responded. Given the nature of this matter, we cannot estimate a possible loss. In addition to these antitrust proceedings, private individual and collective actions that overlap with claims pursued by regulatory authorities are pending in the US and in several other jurisdictions, including across Europe. Given the nature of these matters, we cannot estimate a possible loss. We believe we have strong arguments against these open claims and will defend ourselves vigorously. We continue to cooperate with federal and state regulators in the US, the EC, and other regulators around the world. Privacy Matters We are subject to a number of privacy-related laws and regulations, and we currently are party to a number of privacy investigations and lawsuits ongoing in multiple jurisdictions. For example, there are ongoing investigations and litigation in the US and the EU, including those relating to our collection and use of location information, the choices we offer users, and advertising practices, which could result in significant fines, judgments, and product changes. In October 2025, we finalized a $1.4 billion settlement of certain privacy matters. Patent and Intellectual Property Claims We have had patent, copyright, trade secret, and trademark infringement lawsuits filed against us claiming that certain of our products, services, and technologies infringe others' intellectual property rights. Adverse results in these lawsuits may include awards of substantial monetary damages, costly royalty or licensing agreements, or orders preventing us from offering certain features, functionalities, products, or services. As a result, we may have to change our business practices and develop non-infringing products or technologies, which could result in a loss of revenues for us and otherwise harm our business. In addition, the ITC has increasingly become an important forum to litigate intellectual property disputes because an ultimate loss in an ITC action can result in a prohibition on importing infringing products into the US. Because the US is an important market, a prohibition on importation could have an adverse effect on us, including preventing us from importing many important products into the US or necessitating workarounds that may limit certain features of our products. Further, our customers and partners may discontinue the use of our products, services, and technologies, as a result of injunctions or otherwise, which could result in loss of revenues and adversely affect our business. Other We are subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory and government inquiries and investigations, other proceedings, and consent orders involving competition, intellectual property, data privacy and security, tax and related compliance, labor and employment, commercial disputes, content generated by our users, goods and services offered by advertisers or publishers using our platforms, design of our products and services, personal injury and other tort and nuisance theories, consumer protection, including how we moderate content on our platforms, AI, and other matters. For example, we periodically have data incidents that we report to relevant regulators as required by law. Such claims, consent orders, lawsuits, regulatory and government investigations, and other proceedings could result in substantial fines and penalties, injunctive relief, ongoing monitoring and auditing obligations, changes to our products and services, alterations to our business models and operations, and collateral related civil litigation or other adverse consequences, all of which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. We have ongoing legal matters relating to Russia. For example, some matters concern civil judgments that include compounding penalties imposed upon us in connection with disputes regarding the termination of accounts, including those of sanctioned parties. We do not expect these ongoing legal matters will have a material adverse effect. Non-Income Taxes We are under audit by various domestic and foreign tax authorities with regards to non-income tax matters. The subject matter of non-income tax audits primarily arises from disputes on the tax treatment and tax rate applied to the sale of our products and services in these jurisdictions and the tax treatment of certain employee benefits. We accrue non-income taxes that may result from examinations by, or any negotiated agreements with, these tax authorities when a loss is probable and reasonably estimable. If we determine that a loss is reasonably possible and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the reasonably possible loss. Due to the inherent complexity and uncertainty of these matters and judicial process in certain jurisdictions, the final outcome may be materially different from our expectations. See Note 14 for further details regarding income tax contingencies.

We provide financial guarantees to certain counterparties, in the form of backstop agreements with varying terms through August 2026. These backstop agreements support counterparty procurement of long-lead time equipment for our future power purchase agreements. As of December 31, 2025, our maximum potential amount of future payments under these guarantees was $5.7 billion, upon which we may receive certain assets. The fair value of these obligations was not material.

In the normal course of business, including to facilitate transactions in our services and products and corporate activities, we indemnify certain parties, including advertisers, Google Network partners, distribution partners, customers of Google Cloud offerings, lessors, and service providers with respect to certain matters. We have agreed to defend and/or indemnify certain parties against losses arising from a breach of representations or covenants, or out of intellectual property infringement or other claims made against certain parties. Several of these agreements limit the time within which an indemnification claim can be made and the amount of the claim. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our officers and directors, and our bylaws contain similar indemnification obligations to our agents.

It is not possible to make a reasonable estimate of the maximum potential amount under these indemnification agreements due to the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. Additionally, the payments we have made under such agreements have not had a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows, or financial position. However, to the extent that valid indemnification claims arise in the future, future payments by us could be significant and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or cash flows in a particular period.

We record a liability when we believe that it is probable that a loss has been incurred, and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If we determine that a loss is reasonably possible and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the reasonably possible loss. We evaluate developments in our legal matters that could affect the amount of liability that has been previously accrued, and the matters and related reasonably possible losses disclosed, and make adjustments as appropriate.

Certain outstanding matters seek speculative, substantial, or indeterminate monetary amounts, substantial changes to our business practices and products, or structural remedies. Significant judgment is required to determine both the likelihood of there being a loss and the estimated amount of a loss related to such matters, and we may be unable to estimate the reasonably possible loss or range of losses. The outcomes of outstanding legal matters are inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties, and could, either individually or in aggregate, have a material adverse effect.

•Android: In July 2018, the EC announced its decision that certain provisions in Google's Android-related distribution agreements infringed European antitrust laws, imposed a €4.3 billion fine, and directed the termination of the conduct at issue. We appealed the EC decision and implemented changes to certain of our Android distribution practices. In September 2022, the General Court affirmed the EC decision but reduced the fine from €4.3 billion to €4.1 billion. We subsequently appealed the General Court's affirmation of the EC decision with the European Court of Justice, which remains pending. In 2018, we recognized a charge of $5.1 billion for the fine, which we reduced by $217 million in 2022.

•AdSense for Search: In March 2019, the EC announced its decision that certain provisions in Google's agreements with AdSense for Search partners infringed European antitrust laws, imposed a €1.5 billion fine, and directed actions related to AdSense for Search partners' agreements, which we implemented prior to the decision. In 2019, we recognized a charge of $1.7 billion for the fine and appealed the EC decision. In September 2024, the General Court overturned the EC decision and annulled the €1.5 billion fine. The EC has appealed the General Court's decision with the European Court of Justice.

•Search: In October 2020, the DOJ and a number of state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia concerning Google's Search and Search advertising practices and its compliance with US antitrust laws. In August 2024, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled against Google. A final judgment was entered in December 2025, which, among other things, imposes restrictions on how Google distributes its services and requires Google to share certain search data with and offer syndication services to certain competitors. In January 2026, we appealed the final judgment and moved to pause implementation of certain remedies. In February 2026, the DOJ and state Attorneys General also appealed.

Further, in June 2022, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) opened an investigation into Search distribution practices. In August 2025, we agreed to a settlement with the ACCC requiring, among other things, changes to our Android agreements. We recognized a charge in the second quarter of 2025, and the settlement was approved by the court in December 2025.

In October 2023, the Japanese Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) opened an investigation into Search distribution practices. In April 2025, the JFTC issued a cease-and-desist order requiring us to make changes to our Android agreements to ensure they are consistent with Japanese antitrust law. The JFTC did not impose monetary penalties.

•Advertising Technology: In December 2020, a number of state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas concerning Google's advertising technology and its compliance with US antitrust laws and state deceptive trade laws. In January 2023, the DOJ, along with a number of state Attorneys General, filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia concerning Google's advertising technology and its compliance with US antitrust laws, and a number of additional state Attorneys General subsequently joined the lawsuit. In April 2025, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued a mixed decision in the DOJ case against Google, ruling that neither Google's advertiser tools nor the DoubleClick and AdMeld acquisitions were anticompetitive, but that Google's publisher tools unfairly excluded rivals. A separate proceeding to determine remedies, the range of which vary widely, took place in September 2025, with the parties presenting differing remedy proposals. The DOJ's remedy proposal includes structural remedies that could have a material adverse effect on our business. Closing arguments were held in November 2025, and we are awaiting a final judgment. After that judgment, we plan to appeal the adverse portion of the April 2025 decision and potentially aspects of the remedies decision. A trial in the state Attorneys General case in the Eastern District of Texas will take place after a decision on remedies is issued in the DOJ case. Given the nature of these matters, we cannot estimate a possible loss.

Further, in September 2025, the EC announced its decision that Google had infringed European competition laws through "self-preferencing" practices on the buy-side and the sell-side relating to Google's advertising technology business. The EC decision imposed a €3.0 billion fine and directed Google to cease and desist the alleged "self-preferencing" practices. We appealed the ruling in November 2025. We recognized a charge of

•Google Play: In July 2021, a number of state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California concerning Google’s operation of Android and Google Play and its compliance with US antitrust laws and state antitrust and consumer protection laws. In September 2023, we reached a settlement in principle with 50 state Attorneys General and three territories and recognized a charge. The court preliminarily approved the settlement in November 2025, and final approval remains pending before the court. In May 2024, we funded the settlement amount to an escrow agent.

In December 2023, a California jury delivered a verdict against Google in Epic Games v. Google related to Google Play's business. Epic did not seek monetary damages. The presiding judge issued a remedies decision in October 2024, ordering a variety of alterations to our business models and operations and contractual agreements for Android and Google Play. We appealed the judgment, including the jury verdict and aspects of the remedies ordered, and in July 2025, the Court of Appeals denied our appeal. We are in the process of appealing that decision to the US Supreme Court, and we implemented the ordered remedies in October 2025 while the appeal is pending. In October 2025, we reached a settlement with Epic to modify the remedies in this case and resolve certain other lawsuits Epic has filed regarding Google Play's business. The settlement is contingent on the court approving a proposed modified injunction. Epic and Google filed a joint motion to modify the injunction in November 2025, which is currently pending before the court.

•European Digital Markets Act: In March 2024, the EC opened two investigations regarding Google's compliance with certain provisions of the EU's Digital Markets Act relating to Google Play and Search. In March 2025, the EC issued preliminary findings of non-compliance in both investigations, to which we responded. Given the nature of this matter, we cannot estimate a possible loss.

We are subject to a number of privacy-related laws and regulations, and we currently are party to a number of privacy investigations and lawsuits ongoing in multiple jurisdictions. For example, there are ongoing investigations and litigation in the US and the EU, including those relating to our collection and use of location information, the choices we offer users, and advertising practices, which could result in significant fines, judgments, and product changes. In October 2025, we finalized a $1.4 billion settlement of certain privacy matters.

We have had patent, copyright, trade secret, and trademark infringement lawsuits filed against us claiming that certain of our products, services, and technologies infringe others' intellectual property rights. Adverse results in these lawsuits may include awards of substantial monetary damages, costly royalty or licensing agreements, or orders preventing us from offering certain features, functionalities, products, or services. As a result, we may have to change our business practices and develop non-infringing products or technologies, which could result in a loss of revenues for us and otherwise harm our business. In addition, the ITC has increasingly become an important forum to litigate intellectual property disputes because an ultimate loss in an ITC action can result in a prohibition on importing infringing products into the US. Because the US is an important market, a prohibition on importation could have an adverse effect on us, including preventing us from importing many important products into the US or necessitating workarounds that may limit certain features of our products. Further, our customers and partners may discontinue the use of our products, services, and technologies, as a result of injunctions or otherwise, which could result in loss of revenues and adversely affect our business.

We are subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory and government inquiries and investigations, other proceedings, and consent orders involving competition, intellectual property, data privacy and security, tax and related compliance, labor and employment, commercial disputes, content generated by our users, goods and services offered by advertisers or publishers using our platforms, design of our products and services, personal injury and other tort and nuisance theories, consumer protection, including how we moderate content on our platforms, AI, and other matters.

For example, we periodically have data incidents that we report to relevant regulators as required by law. Such claims, consent orders, lawsuits, regulatory and government investigations, and other proceedings could result in substantial fines and penalties, injunctive relief, ongoing monitoring and auditing obligations, changes to our products and services, alterations to our business models and operations, and collateral related civil litigation or other adverse consequences, all of which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.

We have ongoing legal matters relating to Russia. For example, some matters concern civil judgments that include compounding penalties imposed upon us in connection with disputes regarding the termination of accounts, including those of sanctioned parties. We do not expect these ongoing legal matters will have a material adverse effect.

We are under audit by various domestic and foreign tax authorities with regards to non-income tax matters. The subject matter of non-income tax audits primarily arises from disputes on the tax treatment and tax rate applied to the sale of our products and services in these jurisdictions and the tax treatment of certain employee benefits. We accrue non-income taxes that may result from examinations by, or any negotiated agreements with, these tax authorities when a loss is probable and reasonably estimable. If we determine that a loss is reasonably possible and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the reasonably possible loss. Due to the inherent complexity and uncertainty of these matters and judicial process in certain jurisdictions, the final outcome may be materially different from our expectations.