Google review policy: terrorist content
Google bans terrorist content on Maps, and that includes reviews. Almost no business will ever see one. We include the page because it completes Google's list, and because a profile caught up in a real-world event can attract extreme content for a few days. If it happens, report it at once.
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X. Y.
1 day ago on Google
[Text praising a terrorist attack, with no mention of the clinic.]
Content that celebrates a terrorist attack.
Maria G.
2 weeks ago on Google
Waited 50 minutes past my appointment time and nobody said sorry. I will not be back.
A real patient describing a real wait. Google says not to report a review because you dislike it.
Example. Reviews written by us. Not real reviews.
Short answer
Google prohibits terrorist content on Maps. The policy covers content that incites violence, promotes terrorist acts or celebrates attacks, and anything produced by or for terrorist groups. It is rare on a business profile. When it appears, it is usually tied to a news event, and it should be reported at once.
Key facts
Google Maps prohibits terrorist content and the use of the service by terrorist organizations for any purpose, including recruitment.
Source: Prohibited and restricted content, Google Maps User Generated Content Policy
The policy covers content that incites violence, promotes terrorist acts or celebrates terrorist attacks.
Source: Prohibited and restricted content, Google Maps User Generated Content Policy
Google may allow content related to terrorism for an educational, documentary, scientific or artistic purpose, with enough context.
Source: Prohibited and restricted content, Google Maps User Generated Content Policy
This rule in 27 seconds
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The rule, in Google's words
Google's Prohibited and restricted content page says Maps "prohibits terrorist content and the use of this service by terrorist organizations for any purpose, including recruitment". That includes:
Content that incites violence, promotes terrorist acts or celebrates terrorist attacks.
Content produced by or on behalf of terrorist groups.
Google adds that it "may allow content related to terrorism for an educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic purpose if sufficient information is provided for users to understand the context".
What this rule does not cover
- Insults that use the word. Those are offensive content.
- News commentary with no praise of violence. That is off-topic.
Google's report page sets the general limit: "Do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it."
Evidence that supports a report
- The passage, identified.
- The event it refers to, with the date.
Examples
These examples are ours. They are written to show the rule and are not real reviews. The cards at the top of this page show one review that can qualify and one that stays.
| Review text | Outcome under this policy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Text praising a recent attack, posted on a clinic profile | Can be reported | Celebrates a terrorist attack |
| A call to attack a place or a group | Can be reported | Incites violence |
| "These people are terrorists", about your billing team | Report as offensive content | An unsupported allegation, not terrorist content |
| A rant about foreign policy | Report as off-topic | Commentary with no experience |
| A harsh review of a visit | Stays online | An experience |
How to report it
A business reports a review from its Business Profile or from Google's Reviews Management Tool. Google says evaluation typically takes several days, and each review gets one appeal.
Report it under the closest reason and do not reply. If the content points to a real threat, call the police first.
For health brands
There is no health angle here beyond the obvious one: staff safety comes first. Tell your team what was posted and what you did about it.
Where to go next
See the full list of policies on the Google review policies hub, or the main Google review removal page. The qualification tool checks a review against Google's policies in a few questions.
For help with your own profile, start with our Google review removal service. Our review removal pricing is per confirmed removal, with nothing up front.
Frequently asked questions
Rarely. It matters when a place is near an attack or is wrongly linked to one online, and its profile fills with extreme comments.
No. That is an insult or an unsupported allegation, which falls under offensive content. This policy is about content that promotes or celebrates terrorism.
If content threatens people or a place, contact the police. A report to Google does not replace that.
Primary sources used on this page
- Prohibited and restricted content. Google Maps User Generated Content PolicyLast verified
- Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile. Google Business Profile HelpLast verified