CODEWITHSUNDEEP
google-mapsgoogle-geocoder
Terry Yoder
Terry Yoder

Reputation: 49

How long may I store latitude and longitude retrieved from the Google Maps Geocoding API?

I have read Google's Terms and Conditions here: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/support#comunity-support, but I am still a little unclear on how long we can store latitude and longitude in our own database.

I thought I found the answer here: Terms and Conditions Google Maps: Can I store lat/lng and address components?, but reading some of the recent comments raised doubts once again.

Specifically, if the sole intent is to use the latitude and longitude retrieved from the API with a Google map, can I store those attributes in my own database indefinitely or only for 30 days?

How do I make contact with someone at Google directly so I have a definitive answer to this question and don't need to go contact a lawyer to interpret the terms and conditions.

Thank you, Terry

Upvotes: 0

Views: 2212

Answers (1)

vaindil
vaindil

Reputation: 7846

The Terms of Service, section 10.5, clause d, states this:

No caching or storage. You will not pre-fetch, cache, index, or store any Content to be used outside the Service, except that you may store limited amounts of Content solely for the purpose of improving the performance of your Maps API Implementation due to network latency (and not for the purpose of preventing Google from accurately tracking usage), and only if such storage:

  • is temporary (and in no event more than 30 calendar days);
  • is secure;
  • does not manipulate or aggregate any part of the Content or Service;
  • and does not modify attribution in any way.

This appears to me to specify that the caching must be temporary--you can't actively decide that you're going to cache the data for a max of 30 days. By your own words you want to cache it to prevent API hits, but that is explicitly prohibited by this clause.

If you were caching for a short duration for a specific purpose, such as knowing that a given user will be using the data again in a relatively short period of time, caching would be allowed. Caching just for the sake of caching is not allowed.

You are allowed to cache indefinitely if it's related to a user preference. For example, storing lat/long information is okay if you're saving a user's home coordinates, but only the actual preference data and not any results generated by the API that are related to the personal data.

I am not a lawyer, but this section appears rather clear to me.

Upvotes: 1

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