Alphabet Inc.: 10-K Risk Factor Changes

2025 vs 2024  ·  SEC EDGAR  ·  2026-05-10
Other years: 2026 vs 2025 · 2024 vs 2023
⚠ AI-Generated

The summary below was generated by an AI language model and may contain errors or omissions. All other content on this page is deterministically extracted from the original SEC EDGAR filing.

Alphabet added five new risk disclosures while removing only one, with the deleted ESG risk replaced by broader categories including "Sustainability," "Culture and Workforce," and "Government Regulation," reflecting a shift toward more foundational operational and regulatory risks. The five substantively modified risks concentrated on regulatory expansion, advertising revenue dependency, and data privacy - areas that received expanded treatment relative to their 2024 versions. The net addition of four material risks and the reframing of ESG-specific exposure into enterprise-wide governance categories suggest Alphabet is recalibrating its risk narrative toward systemic challenges rather than stakeholder-specific concerns.

✓ Deterministic extraction — no AI-generated data

Classification is based on semantic text similarity scoring and may include approximations. “No match” means no high-confidence textual match was found — not necessarily that a section was removed.

5
New Risks
1
Removed
5
Modified
23
Unchanged
🟢 New in Current Filing

Ongoing Commitment to Sustainability

Our environmental strategy has two key pillars, supported by our dedication to accessible information and technological innovation: •Our products: We are empowering people with information about the environmental impacts of their choices. •Our operations: We are working to drive…

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Our environmental strategy has two key pillars, supported by our dedication to accessible information and technological innovation: •Our products: We are empowering people with information about the environmental impacts of their choices. •Our operations: We are working to drive sustainability and efficiency across our operations and value chain. Through our products, we have an aspiration to help individuals, cities, and other partners collectively reduce one gigaton of their carbon equivalent emissions annually by 2030. In 2021, we set an ambitious goal to reach net-zero emissions across all of our operations and value chain by 2030. To make progress toward this effort, we aim to reduce 50% of our combined Scope 1, Scope 2 (market-based), and Scope 3 absolute emissions (compared to our 2019 base year) by 2030, and we plan to invest in nature-based and technology-based carbon removal solutions to neutralize our remaining emissions. Our primary approach to reducing our Scope 2 emissions is through the procurement of carbon-free energy (CFE). In 2020, we set a goal to run on 24/7 CFE every hour of every day on every grid where we operate by 2030. In 2023, we began implementing our carbon removals strategy, and we have begun establishing impactful partnerships and have started contracting for carbon removal credits. Achieving net-zero emissions and 24/7 CFE by 2030 are extremely ambitious goals. We also know that our path to net-zero emissions will not be easy or linear. Some of our plans may take years to deliver results, particularly where they involve building new large-scale infrastructure with long lead times. Our approach will continue to evolve and will require us to navigate significant uncertainty, including the uncertainty around the future environmental impact of AI, which is complex and difficult to predict. In addition, solutions for some key global challenges do not currently exist, and will depend heavily on the development and improvement of new technologies by us and by the energy sector. As our business and industry continue to evolve, we expect our total GHG emissions to rise before dropping toward our absolute emissions reduction target. For additional information about risks and uncertainties applicable to our work on sustainability and efficiency, see Item 1A Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

🟢 New in Current Filing

Culture and Workforce

We are a company of curious, talented, and passionate people. We embrace collaboration and creativity, and encourage the iteration of ideas to address complex challenges in technology and society. Our people are critical for our continued success, so we work hard to create an…

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We are a company of curious, talented, and passionate people. We embrace collaboration and creativity, and encourage the iteration of ideas to address complex challenges in technology and society. Our people are critical for our continued success, so we work hard to create an environment where employees can have fulfilling careers, and be happy, healthy, and perform at a high level. We offer industry-leading benefits and programs to take care of the diverse needs of our employees and their families, including opportunities for career growth and development, resources to support their financial health, and access to excellent healthcare choices. Our competitive compensation programs help us to attract and retain key talent, and we will continue to invest in recruiting talented people to technical and non-technical roles, and rewarding them well. We provide a variety of high quality training and support to managers to build and strengthen their capabilities-–ranging from courses for new managers, to learning resources that help them provide feedback and manage performance, to coaching and individual support. As of December 31, 2024, Alphabet had 183,323 employees. We have work councils and statutory employee representation obligations in certain countries, and we are committed to supporting protected labor rights, maintaining an open culture, and listening to all employees. Supporting healthy and open dialogue is central to how we work, and we communicate information about the company through multiple internal channels to our employees. When appropriate we partner with outside companies on a contractual basis to provide a specialized service or to temporarily cover a short-term need. The employees of our suppliers and staffing partners — vendors and temporary staff, respectively — and independent contractors who are self-employed, make up our extended workforce. We choose our partners and staffing agencies carefully, and review their compliance with Google’s Supplier Code of Conduct.

🟢 New in Current Filing

Government Regulation

We are subject to numerous United States (U.S.) federal, state, and local, as well as foreign laws and regulations covering a wide variety of subjects, and the scope of this coverage continues to broaden with continuing new legal and regulatory developments in the U.S. and…

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We are subject to numerous United States (U.S.) federal, state, and local, as well as foreign laws and regulations covering a wide variety of subjects, and the scope of this coverage continues to broaden with continuing new legal and regulatory developments in the U.S. and internationally. Like other companies in the technology industry, we face increasingly heightened scrutiny from both U.S. and foreign governments with respect to our compliance with laws and 9. 9. 9. 9. 9. 9. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents regulations. Many of these laws and regulations are evolving and their applicability and scope, as interpreted by the courts, remain uncertain. Particularly with regard to AI; competition; consumer protection; content moderation; data privacy and security; news publications; and sustainability and other social matters, we have seen an increase in new and evolving laws and regulations, as well as related enforcement actions and investigations, being proposed and implemented in recent years by legislative and regulatory bodies around the world. As we have seen in recent years, different laws and regulations on the same topic may not always have the same requirements, and even when requirements overlap, the rules are not always consistently implemented, interpreted, and enforced from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Our compliance with these laws and regulations may be onerous and could, individually or in the aggregate, increase our cost of doing business, make our products and services less useful, limit our ability to pursue certain business practices or offer certain products and services, cause us to change our business models and operations, affect our competitive position relative to our peers, and/or otherwise harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. For additional information about government regulation applicable to our business, see Item 1A Risk Factors; Trends in Our Business and Financial Effect in Part II, Item 7; and Legal Matters in Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

🟢 New in Current Filing

Intellectual Property

We rely on various intellectual property laws, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect our proprietary technology and our brand. We have registered, and applied for the registration of, U.S. and international trademarks, service marks, domain names, and…

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We rely on various intellectual property laws, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect our proprietary technology and our brand. We have registered, and applied for the registration of, U.S. and international trademarks, service marks, domain names, and copyrights. We have also filed patent applications in the U.S. and foreign countries covering certain of our technology, and acquired patent assets to supplement our portfolio. We have licensed in the past, and expect that we may license in the future, certain of our rights to other parties. For additional information, see Item 1A Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

🟢 New in Current Filing

Available Information

Our website is located at www.abc.xyz, and our investor relations website is located at www.abc.xyz/investor. Access to our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and our Proxy Statements, and any amendments to these reports, is…

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Our website is located at www.abc.xyz, and our investor relations website is located at www.abc.xyz/investor. Access to our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and our Proxy Statements, and any amendments to these reports, is available on our investor relations website, free of charge, after we file or furnish them with the SEC and they are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. We webcast via our investor relations YouTube channel and website our earnings calls and certain events we participate in or host with members of the investment community. Our investor relations website also provides notifications of news or announcements regarding our financial performance and other items that may be material or of interest to our investors, including SEC filings, investor events, press and earnings releases, and blogs. We also share Google news and product updates on Google's Keyword blog at https://www.blog.google/ and News From Google page on X at x.com/NewsFromGoogle, and our executive officers may also use certain social media channels, such as X and LinkedIn, to communicate information about earnings results and company updates, which may be of interest or material to our investors. Further, corporate governance information, including our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, governance guidelines, board committee charters, and code of conduct, is also available on our investor relations website under the heading "Governance." The information contained on, or that may be accessed through our websites or our executive officers' social media channels, is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.

🔴 No Match in Current Filing

Expectations relating to ESG considerations could expose us to potential liabilities, increased costs, and reputational harm.

This section from the 2024 filing does not have a high-confidence textual match in the 2025 filing. It may have been removed, merged, or substantially reworded.

We are subject to laws, regulations, and other measures that govern a wide range of topics, including those related to matters beyond our core products and services. For instance, new laws, regulations, policies, and international accords relating to ESG matters, including…

View 2024 text

We are subject to laws, regulations, and other measures that govern a wide range of topics, including those related to matters beyond our core products and services. For instance, new laws, regulations, policies, and international accords relating to ESG matters, including sustainability, climate change, human capital, and diversity, are being developed and formalized in Europe, the U.S., and elsewhere, which may entail specific, target-driven frameworks and/or disclosure requirements. We have implemented robust ESG programs, adopted reporting frameworks and principles, and announced a number of goals and initiatives. The implementation of these goals and initiatives may require considerable investments, and our goals, with all of their contingencies, dependencies, and in certain cases, reliance on third-party verification and/or performance, are complex and ambitious, and may change. We cannot guarantee that our goals and initiatives will be fully realized on the timelines we expect or at all, and projects that are completed as planned may not achieve the results we anticipate. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to adhere to our public statements, comply fully with developing interpretations of ESG laws and regulations, or meet evolving and varied stakeholder expectations and standards could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.

🟡 Modified

We are subject to a variety of new, existing, and changing laws and regulations worldwide that could harm our business, and will likely be subject to an even broader scope of laws and regulations as we continue to expand our business.

high match confidence

Sentence-level differences:

  • Reworded sentence: "federal and state as well as foreign laws and regulations covering a wide variety of subjects, and our introduction of new businesses, products, services, and technologies will likely continue to subject us to additional laws and regulations."
  • Reworded sentence: "Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc."
  • Reworded sentence: "For example, the EU AI Act came into force on August 1, 2024, and will generally become fully applicable after a two-year transitional period (although certain obligations will take effect at an earlier or later time)."
  • Reworded sentence: "and the Digital Services Act in Europe, to protect against liability for various linking, caching, ranking, recommending, and hosting activities."
  • Reworded sentence: "Our development, use, and commercialization of AI products and services (including our 19."

Current (2025):

We are subject to numerous U.S. federal and state as well as foreign laws and regulations covering a wide variety of subjects, and our introduction of new businesses, products, services, and technologies will likely continue to subject us to additional laws and regulations. In…

Read full text

We are subject to numerous U.S. federal and state as well as foreign laws and regulations covering a wide variety of subjects, and our introduction of new businesses, products, services, and technologies will likely continue to subject us to additional laws and regulations. In recent years, governments around the world have proposed and adopted a large number of new laws and regulations relevant to the digital economy, particularly in the areas of data privacy and security, competition, AI, and online content. The costs of compliance with these measures are high and are likely to increase in the future, including as a result of differing, and sometimes conflicting, laws and regulations. 18. 18. 18. 18. 18. 18. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents New or changing laws and regulations, or interpretations or applications of existing laws and regulations in a manner inconsistent with our interpretations of such laws and regulations and/or our practices, have resulted in, and may continue to result in, less useful products and services, altered business models and operations, limited ability to pursue certain business practices or offer certain products and services, substantial costs, and civil or criminal liability. Examples include laws and regulations regarding: •Competition and technology platforms’ business practices: Laws and regulations focused on large technology platforms, including the Digital Markets Act in the European Union (EU); regulations and legal settlements in the U.S., South Korea, and elsewhere that affect Google Play’s billing policies, fees, and business model; as well as litigation and new and expected regulations in a range of jurisdictions, including, among others, in the UK, Japan, and India. •AI: Laws and regulations focused on the development, use, and provision of AI technologies and other digital products and services, which could result in monetary penalties or other regulatory actions. For example, the EU AI Act came into force on August 1, 2024, and will generally become fully applicable after a two-year transitional period (although certain obligations will take effect at an earlier or later time). The EU AI Act introduces various requirements for AI systems and models placed on the market or put into service in the EU, including specific transparency and other requirements for general purpose AI systems and the models on which those systems are based. In the U.S., there is increasing uncertainty as to the federal government's approach to AI regulation going forward, as the continued applicability of the White House's 2023 Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, which lays out a framework for the U.S. government, among other things, to monitor private sector development of certain foundation models, remains subject to regulatory development. Several states are considering enacting or have already enacted regulations concerning the use of AI technologies, including those focused on consumer protection, and depending on the scope of AI regulation at the federal level, some states may move to regulate AI model development and deployment. Further, at the federal and state level, there have been various proposals (and in some cases laws enacted) addressing “deepfakes” and other AI-generated synthetic media. •Data privacy, collection, processing, and portability: Laws and regulations further restricting the collection, processing, and/or sharing of user or advertising-related data, including privacy and data protection laws; laws affecting the processing of children's data (as discussed further below), data breach notification laws; laws limiting data transfers (including data localization laws); and laws requiring data portability (including the EU Data Act, as discussed further below). •Copyright and other intellectual property: Copyright and related laws, including the EU Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market and European Economic Area transpositions, which have introduced new licensing regimes, increase liability with respect to content uploaded by users or linked to from our platforms, or create property rights in news publications that could require payments to news agencies and publishers, which may result in other regulatory actions. •Content moderation: Various laws covering content moderation and removal, and related disclosure obligations, such as the EU's Digital Services Act, Florida’s Senate Bill 7072 and Texas’ House Bill 20, and laws and proposed legislation in Singapore, Australia, and the United Kingdom that impose penalties for failure to remove certain types of content or require disclosure of information about the operation of our services and algorithms, which may make it harder for services like Google Search and YouTube to detect and deal with low-quality, deceptive, or harmful content, or on the other hand, may impinge on the rights of free expression, which, in turn, could impact how our platforms are viewed by users. Additionally, legislators are increasingly focused on regulating online child safety, including content protections for minors under eighteen years of age. These regulations could result in our having to modify our products and services and incur additional costs to operate and monitor minors’ experiences on our products and services. •Consumer protection: Consumer protection laws, including the EU’s New Deal for Consumers, which could result in monetary penalties and create a range of new compliance obligations. In addition, the applicability and scope of these and other laws and regulations, as interpreted by courts, regulators, or administrative bodies, remain uncertain and could be interpreted in ways that harm our business. For example, we rely on statutory safe harbors, like those set forth in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act in the U.S. and the Digital Services Act in Europe, to protect against liability for various linking, caching, ranking, recommending, and hosting activities. Legislation or court rulings affecting these safe harbors may harm us and may impose significant operational challenges. There are legislative proposals and pending litigation in the U.S., EU, and around the world that could diminish or eliminate safe harbor protection for websites and online platforms. Our development, use, and commercialization of AI products and services (including our 19. 19. 19. 19. 19. 19. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents implementation of AI in our offerings and internal systems) could subject us to regulatory action and legal liability, including under specific legislation regulating AI, as well as new applications of existing data protection, cybersecurity, privacy, intellectual property, and other laws. Further, we are subject to evolving laws, regulations, policies, and international accords relating to matters beyond our core products and services, including environmental sustainability, climate change, human capital, and employment matters. In response, we have implemented robust programs, adopted reporting frameworks and principles, and announced a number of complex and ambitious goals and initiatives that may require considerable investments. We cannot guarantee that our goals and initiatives will be fully realized on the timelines we expect or at all, and projects that are completed as planned may not achieve the results we anticipate.

View prior text (2024)

We are subject to numerous U.S. and foreign laws and regulations covering a wide variety of subjects, and our introduction of new businesses, products, services, and technologies will likely continue to subject us to additional laws and regulations. In recent years, governments around the world have proposed and adopted a large number of new laws and regulations relevant to the digital economy, particularly in the areas of data privacy and security, competition, environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements, AI, and online content. The costs of compliance with these measures are high and are likely to increase in the future. New or changing laws and regulations, or new interpretations or applications of existing laws and regulations in a manner inconsistent with our practices, have resulted in, and may continue to result in, less useful products and services, altered business practices, limited ability to pursue certain business models or offer certain products and services, substantial costs, and civil or criminal liability. Examples include laws and regulations regarding: •Competition and technology platforms’ business practices: Laws and regulations focused on large technology platforms, including the Digital Markets Act in the European Union (EU); regulations and legal 18. 18. 18. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents settlements in the U.S., South Korea, and elsewhere that affect Google Play’s billing policies, fees, and business model; as well as litigation and new regulations under consideration in a range of jurisdictions. •AI: Laws and regulations focused on the development, use, and provision of AI technologies and other digital products and services, which could result in monetary penalties or other regulatory actions. For example, while legislative text has yet to be finalized and formally approved, provisional political agreement on a proposed EU AI Act was reached between co-legislators in December 2023, including that specific transparency and other requirements would be introduced for general purpose AI systems and the models on which those systems are based. In addition, the White House's Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence devises a framework for the U.S. government, among other things, to regulate private sector use and development of certain foundation models. •Data privacy, collection, and processing: Laws and regulations further restricting the collection, processing, and/or sharing of user or advertising-related data, including privacy and data protection laws; laws affecting the processing of children's data (as discussed further below), data breach notification laws, and laws limiting data transfers (including data localization laws). •Copyright and other intellectual property: Copyright and related laws, including the EU Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market and European Economic Area transpositions, which may introduce new licensing regimes, increase liability with respect to content uploaded by users or linked to from our platforms, or create property rights in news publications that could require payments to news agencies and publishers, which may result in other regulatory actions. •Content moderation: Various laws covering content moderation and removal, and related disclosure obligations, such as the EU's Digital Services Act, Florida’s Senate Bill 7072 and Texas’ House Bill 20, and laws and proposed legislation in Singapore, Australia, and the United Kingdom that impose penalties for failure to remove certain types of content or require disclosure of information about the operation of our services and algorithms, which may make it harder for services like Google Search and YouTube to detect and deal with low-quality, deceptive, or harmful content. •Consumer protection: Consumer protection laws, including the EU’s New Deal for Consumers, which could result in monetary penalties and create a range of new compliance obligations. In addition, the applicability and scope of these and other laws and regulations, as interpreted by courts, regulators, or administrative bodies, remain uncertain and could be interpreted in ways that harm our business. For example, we rely on statutory safe harbors, like those set forth in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act in the U.S. and the E-Commerce Directive in Europe, to protect against liability for various linking, caching, ranking, recommending, and hosting activities. Legislation or court rulings affecting these safe harbors may adversely affect us and may impose significant operational challenges. There are legislative proposals and pending litigation in the U.S., EU, and around the world that could diminish or eliminate safe harbor protection for websites and online platforms. Our development, use, and commercialization of AI products and services (including our implementation of AI in our offerings and internal systems) could subject us to regulatory action and legal liability, including under specific legislation regulating AI, as well as new applications of existing data protection, cybersecurity, privacy, intellectual property, and other laws.

🟡 Modified

We generate a significant portion of our revenues from advertising. Reduced spending by advertisers, a loss of partners, or new and existing technologies that block ads online and/or affect our ability to personalize ads could harm our business.

high match confidence

Sentence-level differences:

  • Reworded sentence: "We generated more than 75% of total revenues from online advertising in 2024."
  • Reworded sentence: "These partners may not continue to do business with us if we do not create more value (such as increased numbers of users or customers, new sales leads, increased brand awareness, or more effective 10."

Current (2025):

We generated more than 75% of total revenues from online advertising in 2024. Many of our advertisers, companies that distribute our products and services, digital publishers, and content providers can terminate their contracts with us at any time. These partners may not…

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We generated more than 75% of total revenues from online advertising in 2024. Many of our advertisers, companies that distribute our products and services, digital publishers, and content providers can terminate their contracts with us at any time. These partners may not continue to do business with us if we do not create more value (such as increased numbers of users or customers, new sales leads, increased brand awareness, or more effective 10. 10. 10. 10. 10. 10. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents monetization) than their available alternatives. Changes to our advertising policies and data privacy practices, such as our initiatives related to third-party cookies, including our announcement in July 2024 to move from phasing out all third-party cookies to a proposed user choice model (which remains subject to continuing discussions with regulators), as well as changes to other companies’ advertising and/or data privacy practices have in the past, and may in the future, affect the advertising services that we are able to provide. In addition, technologies have been developed that make personalized ads more difficult, or that block the display of ads altogether, and some providers of online services have integrated technologies that could potentially impair the availability and functionality of third-party digital advertising. Failing to provide superior value or deliver advertisements effectively and competitively could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. In addition, expenditures by advertisers tend to correlate with overall economic conditions. Adverse macroeconomic conditions have affected, and may in the future affect, the demand for advertising, resulting in fluctuations in the amounts our advertisers spend on advertising, which could harm our financial condition and operating results.

View prior text (2024)

We generated more than 75% of total revenues from online advertising in 2023. Many of our advertisers, companies that distribute our products and services, digital publishers, and content providers can terminate their contracts with us at any time. These partners may not continue to do business with us if we do not create more value (such as increased numbers of users or customers, new sales leads, increased brand awareness, or more effective monetization) than their available alternatives. Changes to our advertising policies and data privacy practices, such as our initiatives to phase out third-party cookies, as well as changes to other companies’ advertising and/or data privacy practices have in the past, and may in the future, affect the advertising that we are able to provide. In addition, technologies have been developed that make customized ads more difficult, or that block the display of ads altogether, and some providers of online services have integrated these technologies that could potentially impair the availability and functionality of third-party digital advertising. Failing to provide superior value or deliver advertisements effectively and competitively could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. In addition, expenditures by advertisers tend to correlate with overall economic conditions. Adverse macroeconomic conditions have affected, and may in the future affect, the demand for advertising, resulting in fluctuations in the amounts our advertisers spend on advertising, which could harm our financial condition and operating results.

🟡 Modified

Privacy, data protection, data usage, and portability regulations are complex and rapidly evolving areas. Any failure or alleged failure to comply with these laws could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.

high match confidence

Sentence-level differences:

  • Reworded sentence: "Authorities around the world have adopted and are considering a number of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection, data usage and portability, and encryption of user data."
  • Reworded sentence: "Examples of these laws include: •The EU General Data Protection Regulation and the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulations, which apply to all of our activities conducted from an establishment in the EU or the United Kingdom, respectively, or related to products and services that we offer to EU or the United Kingdom users or customers, respectively, or the monitoring of their behavior in the EU or the UK, respectively."
  • Reworded sentence: "Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc."

Current (2025):

Authorities around the world have adopted and are considering a number of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection, data usage and portability, and encryption of user data. Additionally, the increasing adoption of AI technologies, which rely on the…

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Authorities around the world have adopted and are considering a number of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection, data usage and portability, and encryption of user data. Additionally, the increasing adoption of AI technologies, which rely on the collection of large amounts of data and use of such data for training purposes, has led data protection authorities around the world to consider and adopt new and evolving interpretations of data protection laws, imposing specific obligations with respect to the processing of personal data, including required notices, consents, and opt-outs. Further, the increased risk of inadvertent disclosure of confidential information or personal data in connection with the utilization of AI technologies may result in stronger regulatory scrutiny, leading to legal and regulatory investigations and enforcement actions that may negatively affect our business, even if unfounded. Adverse legal rulings, legislation, or regulation have resulted in, and may continue to result in, fines and orders requiring that we change our practices, which have had and could continue to have an adverse effect on how we provide services, harming our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. These laws and regulations are evolving and subject to interpretation, and compliance obligations could cause us to incur substantial costs or harm the quality and operations of our products and services in ways that harm our business. Examples of these laws include: •The EU General Data Protection Regulation and the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulations, which apply to all of our activities conducted from an establishment in the EU or the United Kingdom, respectively, or related to products and services that we offer to EU or the United Kingdom users or customers, respectively, or the monitoring of their behavior in the EU or the UK, respectively. •Various U.S. federal, U.S. state, and foreign privacy laws related to the processing and security of personal data, including (1) comprehensive privacy laws that provide data privacy rights (including, in California, a private right of action in the event of a data breach resulting from our failure to implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices) and impose significant obligations on controllers and processors of consumer data; (2) laws imposing obligations on businesses that collect or disclose biometric information (including, in Illinois, Texas, and Washington); (3) laws governing the collection and processing of children and minor’s data and how companies provide age appropriate online experiences (including, in the U.S., the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, the pending Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), which passed the U.S. Senate in 2024, and similar U.S. state laws related to children’s privacy, such as the New York Child Data Protection Act, and the United Kingdom’s Age-Appropriate Design Code); and (4) laws regulating internet-connected devices (such as, in California, the Internet of Things Security Law). •The EU’s Digital Markets Act, which will require in-scope companies to obtain user consent for combining data across certain products and require search engines to share anonymized data with rival companies, among other changes; and the EU Data Act, which introduces new data portability requirements with respect to connected products (i.e., ‘internet of things’ products) and related services, as well as interoperability obligations on data processing services. 21. 21. 21. 21. 21. 21. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents Further, we are subject to evolving laws and regulations that dictate whether, how, and under what circumstances we can transfer, process and/or receive personal data, as well as ongoing enforcement actions from supervisory authorities related to cross-border transfers of personal data. The validity of various data transfer mechanisms we currently rely upon remains subject to legal, regulatory, and political developments globally, which may require us to adapt our existing arrangements.

View prior text (2024)

Authorities around the world have adopted and are considering a number of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection, data usage, and encryption of user data. Adverse legal rulings, legislation, or regulation have resulted in, and may continue to result in, fines and orders requiring that we change our practices, which have had and could continue to have an adverse effect on how we provide services, harming our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. These laws and regulations are evolving and subject to interpretation, and compliance obligations could cause us to incur substantial costs or harm the quality and operations of our products and services in ways that harm our business. Examples of these laws include: •The General Data Protection Regulation and the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulations, which apply to all of our activities conducted from an establishment in the EU or the United Kingdom, respectively, or related to products and services that we offer to EU or the United Kingdom users or customers, respectively, or the monitoring of their behavior in the EU or the UK, respectively. •Various comprehensive U.S. state and foreign privacy laws, which give new data privacy rights to their respective residents (including, in California, a private right of action in the event of a data breach resulting from our failure to implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices) and impose significant obligations on controllers and processors of consumer data. •State laws governing the processing of biometric information, such as the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act and the Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act, which impose obligations on businesses that collect or disclose consumer biometric information. •Various federal, state, and foreign laws governing how companies provide age appropriate experiences to children and minors, including the collection and processing of children and minor’s data. These include the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, and the United Kingdom Age-Appropriate Design Code, all of which address the use and disclosure of the personal data of children and minors and impose obligations on online services or products directed to or likely to be accessed by children. •The California Internet of Things Security Law, which regulates the security of data used in connection with internet-connected devices. •The EU’s Digital Markets Act, which will require in-scope companies to obtain user consent for combining data across certain products and require search engines to share anonymized data with rival companies, among other changes. 20. 20. 20. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Further, we are subject to evolving laws and regulations that dictate whether, how, and under what circumstances we can transfer, process and/or receive personal data, as well as ongoing enforcement actions from supervisory authorities related to cross-border transfers of personal data. The validity of various data transfer mechanisms we currently rely upon remains subject to legal, regulatory, and political developments in both Europe and the U.S., which may require us to adapt our existing arrangements.

🟡 Modified

We are and may continue to be subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory and government inquiries and investigations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and other forms of regulatory scrutiny and legal liability, including competition matters, that could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.

high match confidence

Sentence-level differences:

  • Reworded sentence: "We are subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory and government inquiries and investigations, other proceedings, and 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, personal injury, and other matters."
  • Reworded sentence: "We are also subject to a variety of claims including product warranty, product liability, and consumer protection claims related to product defects, among other litigation, and we may also be subject to claims involving health and safety, hazardous materials usage, other environmental effects, AI training, development, and commercialization, or service disruptions or failures."
  • Reworded sentence: "For additional information about the ongoing material legal proceedings to which we are subject, see Legal Proceedings in Item 3 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K."

Current (2025):

We are subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory and government inquiries and investigations, other proceedings, and orders involving competition, intellectual property, data privacy and security, tax and related compliance, labor and employment, commercial disputes, content…

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We are subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory and government inquiries and investigations, other proceedings, and 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, personal injury, and other matters. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), various U.S. states, and other plaintiffs have filed, and may continue to file in the future, several antitrust lawsuits about various aspects of our business, including our advertising technologies and practices, the operation and distribution of Google Search, and the operation and distribution of the Android operating system and Play Store. For example, the DOJ and a number of state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit alleging that Google violated antitrust laws relating to Search and Search advertising, and in August 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Google violated such antitrust laws. The Court is holding a separate proceeding to determine remedies, which could include alterations to our products and services and our business models and operations, including structural remedies, and/or our distribution arrangements, among other changes. While we plan to appeal, there can be no assurance that our appeal will succeed, or that we will be able to change or decrease the severity of any remedies that may be ordered, and any or all of these potential remedies could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. Also, in December 2023, a California jury delivered a verdict in Epic Games v. Google finding that Google violated antitrust laws relating to Google Play's business. The presiding judge issued a remedies decision in October 2024 that ordered a variety of alterations to our business models and operations and contractual agreements for Android and Google Play. We are appealing the verdict, but if we are unsuccessful, we could face significant expenses to implement the remedies, and such costs and alterations could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. Furthermore, in December 2020, several State Attorneys General, led by the Texas Attorney General, filed an antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas alleging that Google violated antitrust and other laws relating to its advertising technology. This case is set for trial in March 2025, and we could face significant civil penalties. In January 2023, the DOJ and several Attorneys General sued in the Eastern District of Virginia alleging similar antitrust violations relating to Google’s advertising technology. Trial in the DOJ matter concluded in September 2024 with a decision expected in early 2025. If we are unsuccessful, we could face an order on remedies that could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. In addition to these regulatory proceedings, private individual and collective actions that overlap with claims pursued by regulators are pending in the U.S. and in several other jurisdictions. Adverse results in these or similar future lawsuits may include awards of monetary damages and remedies that could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. Other regulatory agencies in the U.S. and around the world, including competition enforcers, consumer protection agencies, and data protection authorities, have challenged and may continue to challenge our business practices and compliance with laws and regulations. We are cooperating with these investigations and defending litigation or appealing decisions where appropriate. We are also subject to a variety of claims including product warranty, product liability, and consumer protection claims related to product defects, among other litigation, and we may also be subject to claims involving health and safety, hazardous materials usage, other environmental effects, AI training, development, and commercialization, or service disruptions or failures. Claims have been brought, and we expect will continue to be brought, against us for 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents defamation, negligence, breaches of contract, patent, copyright and trademark infringement, unfair competition, unlawful activity, torts, privacy rights violations, fraud, or other legal theories based on the nature and content of information available on or via our services, the design and effect of our products and services, or due to our involvement in hosting, transmitting, marketing, branding, or providing access to content created by third parties. Various laws, regulations, investigations, enforcement lawsuits, and regulatory actions have involved in the past, and may in the future 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, including divestiture, and collateral related civil litigation or other adverse consequences. Any of these legal proceedings could also result in legal costs, diversion of management resources, and negative publicity, all of which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. Estimating liabilities for our pending proceedings is a complex, fact-specific, and speculative process that requires significant judgment, and the amounts we are ultimately liable for may be less than or exceed our estimates. The resolution of one or more such proceedings has resulted in, and may in the future result in, additional substantial fines, penalties, injunctions, and other sanctions that could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. For additional information about the ongoing material legal proceedings to which we are subject, see Legal Proceedings in Item 3 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

View prior text (2024)

We are subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory and government investigations, other proceedings, and 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, personal injury, and other matters. We are also subject to a variety of claims including product warranty, product liability, and consumer protection claims related to product defects, among other litigation, and we may also be subject to claims involving health and safety, hazardous materials usage, other environmental effects, AI training, development, and commercialization, or service disruptions or failures. Claims have been brought, and we expect will continue to be brought, against us for defamation, negligence, breaches of contract, copyright and trademark infringement, unfair competition, unlawful activity, torts, privacy rights violations, fraud, or other legal theories based on the nature and content of information available on or via our services, the design and effect of our products and services, or due to our involvement in hosting, transmitting, marketing, branding, or providing access to content created by third parties. 19. 19. 19. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents For example, in December 2023, a California jury delivered a verdict in Epic Games v. Google finding that Google violated antitrust laws related to Google Play's billing practices. The presiding judge will determine remedies in 2024 and the range of potential remedies vary widely. We plan to appeal. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice, various U.S. states, and other plaintiffs have filed several antitrust lawsuits about various aspects of our business, including our advertising technologies and practices, the operation and distribution of Google Search, and the operation and distribution of the Android operating system and Play Store. Other regulatory agencies in the U.S. and around the world, including competition enforcers, consumer protection agencies, and data protection authorities, have challenged and may continue to challenge our business practices and compliance with laws and regulations. We are cooperating with these investigations and defending litigation or appealing decisions where appropriate. Various laws, regulations, investigations, enforcement lawsuits, and regulatory actions have involved in the past, and may in the future 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, including divestiture, and collateral related civil litigation or other adverse consequences, all of which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. Any of these legal proceedings could result in legal costs, diversion of management resources, negative publicity and other harms to our business. Estimating liabilities for our pending proceedings is a complex, fact-specific, and speculative process that requires significant judgment, and the amounts we are ultimately liable for may be less than or exceed our estimates. The resolution of one or more such proceedings has resulted in, and may in the future result in, additional substantial fines, penalties, injunctions, and other sanctions that could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. For additional information about the ongoing material legal proceedings to which we are subject, see Legal Proceedings in Part I, Item 3 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

🟡 Modified

We cannot guarantee that any share repurchase program or dividend program will be continuously active or fully consummated or will enhance long-term stockholder value, and share repurchases or dividends could increase the volatility of our stock prices and could diminish our cash reserves.

high match confidence

Sentence-level differences:

  • Reworded sentence: "In April 2024, we announced the approval of our cash dividend program and began paying regular cash dividends to our Class A, Class B, and Class C stockholders."

Current (2025):

We engage in share repurchases of our Class A and Class C stock from time to time in accordance with authorizations from the Board of Directors of Alphabet. Our repurchase program does not have an expiration date and does not obligate Alphabet to repurchase any specific dollar…

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We engage in share repurchases of our Class A and Class C stock from time to time in accordance with authorizations from the Board of Directors of Alphabet. Our repurchase program does not have an expiration date and does not obligate Alphabet to repurchase any specific dollar amount or to acquire any specific number of shares. In April 2024, we announced the approval of our cash dividend program and began paying regular cash dividends to our Class A, Class B, and Class C stockholders. Any and all future cash dividends are subject to declaration by our Board of Directors in its sole discretion, and in accordance with the requirements of any applicable laws, rules, and regulations, including the Delaware General Corporation Law. Our cash dividend program does not require, and our Board of Directors may decide not to declare, a cash dividend each quarter, and does not obligate our Board of Directors to declare a dividend at any specific dollar amount per share. Any such decision by our Board of Directors may depend on a variety of factors that it may deem relevant, including but not limited to our earnings, liquidity, financial condition, other capital deployment opportunities, level of indebtedness, and general market conditions. Our share repurchases or dividends could affect our share trading prices, increase their volatility, reduce our cash reserves and may be suspended or terminated at any time, which may result in a decrease in the trading prices of our stock.

View prior text (2024)

We engage in share repurchases of our Class A and Class C stock from time to time in accordance with authorizations from the Board of Directors of Alphabet. Our repurchase program does not have an expiration date and does not obligate Alphabet to repurchase any specific dollar amount or to acquire any specific number of shares. Further, our share repurchases could affect our share trading prices, increase their volatility, reduce our cash reserves and may be suspended or terminated at any time, which may result in a decrease in the trading prices of our stock.