Google Docs Privacy Policy

October 30, 2009

The Google Privacy Policy describes how we treat personal information when you use Google's services, including information provided to Google Docs. In addition, the following describes our practices that are specific to Google Docs.

Personal Information

  • Account activity. You need a Google Account to create files in Google Docs. Google asks for some personal information when you create a Google Account, including your email address and a password, which is used to protect your account from unauthorized access. Google's servers automatically record certain information about your use of Google Docs. Similar to other web services, Google records information such as account activity (e.g., storage usage, number of log-ins, actions taken), data displayed or clicked on (e.g., UI elements, links), and other log information (e.g., browser type, IP address, date and time of access, cookie ID, referrer URL).
  • Content. Google Docs stores, processes and maintains your files (as well as previous versions of your files), sharing lists, and other data related to your account in order to provide the service to you.

Uses

  • We use this information internally to deliver the best possible service to you, such as improving the Google Docs user interface and maintaining a consistent and reliable user experience.
  • Files you create, upload, or copy to Google Docs may, if you choose, be read, copied, used and redistributed by people you know or, again if you choose, by people you do not know. Information you disclose using the chat function of Google Docs may be read, copied, used and redistributed by people participating in the chat. Use care when including sensitive personal information in files you share or in chat sessions, such as social security numbers, financial account information, home addresses or phone numbers.
  • Some features (e.g., gadgets) are provided by third parties, who may receive and process your data. When you use one of these features, you may be sharing data with the third party, including allowing the third party to process your data. Access to your data by these third parties is not governed by this Privacy Policy.

Your choices

  • You may terminate your use of Google Docs at any time.
  • You may permanently delete any files you create in Google Docs. Because of the way we maintain this service, residual copies of your files may take up to 30 days to be deleted from our active servers and may remain in our offline backup systems for up to an additional 60 days.

More information

Google adheres to the U.S. Safe Harbor privacy principles. For more information about the Safe Harbor framework or our registration, see the Department of Commerce's web site.

Further information about Google Docs is available here.

For more information about our privacy practices, go to the full privacy policy. For questions concerning the product or your account, please check out the Google Help page.