ReferenceBusiness Profile suspension
Misrepresentation
Google's contribution policy bars using Google Maps to mislead or deceive others. The listed examples include false or misleading accounts of the description or quality of a good or service, distorting or omitting facts to scam people, omitting information that could affect decisions, conflict-of-interest content, and content that tricks people into revealing confidential information. Check the profile's description and posts against what the business actually does.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- On the profile's description and posts.
- What stops
- The content may be removed, and the profile may face action.
- How serious
- Google's closing note says its actions range from suspending account privileges to account termination.
What it means
Misrepresentation under the Google Maps contribution policy covers content that misleads. The examples include false claims about the quality of goods or services, facts distorted or omitted to scam people, and content based on a conflict of interest.
The test the page sets is whether a distorted or omitted fact could have an undue impact on a person's decision.
What actually triggers it
Claims about quality or results that cannot be backed
A description or post that states the quality or results of a service in terms the business cannot support. The page lists false or misleading accounts of quality.
Content based on a conflict of interest
Content written by someone with a stake in the listing and presented as neutral. The page says a conflict of interest may include current or former employment, a contractual or consulting relationship, or other professional or personal affiliations.
Posts that trick people into sharing details or downloading software
A post or description that gets readers to hand over confidential details, download unwanted software, or follow a phishing or baiting link. The page names all three.
Fix it in this order
- Read the description and recent posts against what the business actually sells and does.
- Remove or correct any claim about quality or results that you cannot back with evidence.
- Remove any content written by staff, former staff or contractors and presented as neutral, such as a post praising the business written as if by a customer.
- Remove any request for confidential information from the description or posts.
Often confused with
Impersonation is about claiming to be someone else. Misrepresentation is about what the listing says, even when the business is who it says it is.