# Alphabet Inc.: 10-K Risk Factor Changes 2026 vs 2025 > Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR) > Generated: 2026-05-05 > All data extracted directly from official filings. No hallucinated content. > **[AI-Generated Summary]** The paragraph below was produced by a language > model and may contain errors. All other content on this page is deterministically > extracted from the original SEC filing. > Alphabet added a new financing risk and removed two stock-price related risks, suggesting the company is now more concerned about its ability to fund operations and less worried about investor sentiment around its stock. More importantly, the company substantially expanded its legal and regulatory risk disclosure to explicitly call out antitrust lawsuits, AI liability, content moderation disputes, and tax withholding obligations, which signals that Alphabet views legal and regulatory pressure as an increasingly serious threat to its core business rather than a manageable compliance issue. These changes reflect a company facing mounting government scrutiny while also preparing investors for a more expensive and capital-intensive future in AI development. --- ## Summary | Status | Count | |--------|-------| | New risks added | 1 | | Risks removed | 2 | | Risks modified | 11 | | Unchanged | 20 | --- ## New Risk: Disruptions in our ability to access future financing or manage our indebtedness could adversely affect our ability to execute our strategy and harm our financial condition. We may from time to time access capital markets for debt or seek to enter into other forms of financing, such as leases. Any difficulty in accessing capital markets, entering into other forms of financing on favorable terms, or managing our existing indebtedness could increase our costs of financing and restrict our ability to invest in our business. Furthermore, the combination of our current and any future indebtedness, including obligations arising under 13. 13. 13. 13. 13. 13. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents leases, backstops, guarantees, and potential liabilities from large commercial agreements, could harm our financial condition and reduce our financial and business flexibility. --- ## Removed Risk: Ongoing Commitment to Sustainability *This risk factor was present in the 2025 filing and has been removed.* 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. --- ## Removed Risk: The trading price for our Class A stock and non-voting Class C stock may continue to be volatile. *This risk factor was present in the 2025 filing and has been removed.* The trading price of our stock has at times experienced significant volatility and may continue to be volatile. In addition to the factors discussed in this report, the trading prices of our Class A stock and Class C stock have fluctuated, and may continue to fluctuate widely, in response to various factors, including, among others, the size or continuity of either our share repurchase or dividend programs, the activities of our peers and changes in broader economic and political conditions around the world. These broad market and industry factors could harm the market price of our Class A stock and our Class C stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. --- ## Modified Risk: Problematic content on our platforms, including low-quality user-generated content, web spam, content farms, and other violations of our guidelines could affect the quality of our services, which could harm our reputation and deter our current and potential users from using our products and services. **Key changes:** - Updated: "Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc." - Updated: "Although we continue to invest in and deploy proprietary technology to detect and prevent web spam on our platforms and to evolve our policies to address emerging threats, there is no guarantee that our technology and policy enforcement will always be successful, and our users may have negative experiences that make them less likely to use our platforms." - Updated: "It may also subject us to litigation and regulatory actions, which could result in monetary penalties and damages and divert management's time and attention." **Prior (2025):** We, like others in the industry, face violations of our content guidelines across our platforms, including sophisticated attempts by bad actors to manipulate our hosting and advertising systems to fraudulently generate revenues, or to otherwise generate traffic that does not represent genuine user interest or intent. While we invest significantly in efforts to promote high-quality and relevant results and to detect and prevent low-quality content and invalid traffic, we have been unable and may continue to be unable to detect and prevent all such abuses or promote uniformly high-quality content. Increased use of AI in our offerings and internal systems may create new avenues of abuse for bad actors. Many websites violate or attempt to violate our guidelines, including by seeking to inappropriately rank higher in search results than our search engine's assessment of their relevance and utility would rank them. Such efforts have affected, and may continue to affect, the quality of content on our platforms and lead them to display false, misleading, or undesirable content. Although English-language web spam in our search results has been reduced, and web spam in most other languages is limited, we expect web spammers will continue to seek inappropriate ways to improve their rankings. Although we continue to invest in and deploy proprietary technology to detect and prevent web spam on our platforms, there is no guarantee that our technology will always be successful, and our users may have negative experiences on our platforms if our technology fails to work as intended, which may affect our users' decisions in continuing to use our platforms. We also face other challenges from low-quality and irrelevant content websites, including content farms, which are websites that generate large quantities of low-quality content to help them improve their search rankings. We are continually launching algorithmic changes designed to detect and prevent abuse from low-quality websites, but we may not always be successful. We also face other challenges on our platforms, including violations of our content guidelines involving incidents such as attempted election interference; activities that threaten the safety and/or well-being of our users, including minors, on- or off-line; and the spreading of misinformation or disinformation. If we fail to either detect and prevent an increase in problematic content or effectively promote high-quality content, it could hurt our reputation for delivering relevant information or reduce use of our platforms, harming our financial condition and operating results. It may also subject us to litigation and regulatory actions, which could result in monetary penalties and damages and divert management's time and attention. **Current (2026):** We, like others in the industry, face violations of our content guidelines across our platforms, including sophisticated attempts by bad actors to manipulate our hosting and advertising systems to fraudulently generate revenues, or to otherwise generate traffic that does not represent genuine user interest or intent. While we invest 14. 14. 14. 14. 14. 14. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents significantly in efforts to promote high-quality and relevant results and to detect and prevent low-quality content and invalid traffic, we have been unable and may continue to be unable to detect and prevent all such abuses or promote uniformly high-quality content. Increased use of AI in our offerings and internal systems may create new instances of problematic content and increased potential for misuse and abuse. Many websites violate or attempt to violate our guidelines, including by seeking to inappropriately rank higher in search results than our search engine's assessment of their relevance and utility would rank them. Such efforts have affected, and may continue to affect, the quality of content on our platforms and lead them to display false, misleading, or undesirable content. Although English-language web spam in our search results has been reduced, and web spam in most other languages is limited, we expect web spammers will continue to seek inappropriate ways to improve their rankings. Although we continue to invest in and deploy proprietary technology to detect and prevent web spam on our platforms and to evolve our policies to address emerging threats, there is no guarantee that our technology and policy enforcement will always be successful, and our users may have negative experiences that make them less likely to use our platforms. We face legal and regulatory challenges to our efforts to address low-quality content, and our ability to address it may be constrained or made more costly through added compliance requirements. We also face other challenges to the quality of our search results from low-quality and irrelevant content websites, including content farms, which are websites that generate large quantities of low-quality content in an effort to improve their search rankings. We are continually launching algorithmic changes designed to detect and prevent these efforts, but we may not always be successful. We also face other challenges on our platforms, including attempted election interference; fraud, content inappropriate for minors, misleading or deceptive information, and other types of potentially harmful content. If we fail to either detect and prevent an increase in problematic content or effectively promote high-quality content, it could hurt our reputation for delivering relevant information or reduce use of our platforms, harming our financial condition and operating results. It may also subject us to litigation and regulatory actions, which could result in monetary penalties and damages and divert management's time and attention. --- ## Modified Risk: Our international operations expose us to additional risks that could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. **Key changes:** - Updated: "Our international operations are significant to our revenues and net income, and we plan to continue growing internationally." **Prior (2025):** 14. 14. 14. 14. 14. 14. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents Our international operations are significant to our revenues and net income, and we plan to continue to grow internationally. International revenues accounted for approximately 51% of our consolidated revenues in 2024. In addition to risks described elsewhere in this section, our international operations expose us to other risks, including the following: •restrictions on foreign ownership and investments, and stringent foreign exchange controls that might prevent us from repatriating cash earned in countries outside the U.S.; •sanctions, import and export controls, other market access barriers, political unrest, geopolitical tensions, changes in regimes, or armed conflict (such as ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine), any of which may affect our business continuity, increase our operating costs, limit demand for our products and services, limit our ability to source components or final products, or prevent or impede us from operating in certain jurisdictions, complying with local laws, or offering products or services; •longer payment cycles in some countries, increased credit risk, and higher levels of payment fraud; •an evolving foreign policy landscape that could harm our revenues and could subject us to litigation, new regulatory costs and challenges (including new customer requirements), uncertainty regarding regulatory outcomes, and other liabilities under local laws that may not offer due process or clear legal precedent; •anti-corruption laws, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and other local laws prohibiting certain payments to government officials, violations of which could result in civil and criminal penalties; and •different employee/employer relationships; different labor laws, regulations, and labor practices; and other challenges caused by distance, language, local expertise, and cultural differences, increasing the complexity of doing business in multiple jurisdictions. Because we conduct business in currencies other than U.S. dollars but report our financial results in U.S. dollars, we have faced, and will continue to face, exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. Although we hedge a portion of our international currency exposure, significant fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies have in the past and may in the future adversely affect our revenues and earnings. Hedging programs are also inherently risky and could expose us to additional risks that could harm our financial condition and operating results. **Current (2026):** Our international operations are significant to our revenues and net income, and we plan to continue growing internationally. International revenues accounted for approximately 52% of consolidated revenues in 2025. In addition to risks described elsewhere in this section, our international operations expose us to other risks, including: •restrictions on foreign ownership and investments, and stringent foreign exchange controls that might prevent us from repatriating cash earned in countries outside the US; •sanctions, tariffs, import and export controls, other market access barriers, political unrest, geopolitical tensions, changes in regimes, or armed conflict (such as ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine), any of which may affect our business continuity, increase our operating costs, limit demand for our products and services, limit our ability to source components or final products, or prevent or impede us from operating in certain jurisdictions, complying with local laws, or offering products or services; •longer payment cycles in some countries, increased credit risk, and higher levels of payment fraud; •an evolving foreign policy landscape that could harm our revenues and could subject us to litigation, new regulatory costs and challenges (including new customer requirements), uncertainty regarding regulatory outcomes, and other liabilities under local laws that may not offer due process or clear legal precedent; •anti-corruption laws, such as the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and other local laws prohibiting certain payments to government officials, violations of which could result in civil and criminal penalties; and •different employee/employer relationships; different labor laws, regulations, and labor practices; and other challenges caused by distance, language, local expertise, and cultural differences, increasing the complexity of doing business in multiple jurisdictions. Because we conduct business in currencies other than US dollars but report our financial results in US dollars, we have faced, and will continue to face, exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. Although we hedge a portion of our international currency exposure, significant fluctuations in exchange rates between the US dollar and foreign currencies have and may in the future adversely affect our revenues and earnings. Hedging programs are also inherently risky and could expose us to additional risks that could harm our financial condition and operating results. --- ## Modified Risk: We could be subject to changes in tax rates, the adoption of new US or international tax legislation, or exposure to additional tax liabilities. **Key changes:** - Updated: "We are subject to a variety of taxes and tax collection obligations in the US and numerous foreign jurisdictions." - Updated: "Further, if we are unable or fail to collect taxes on behalf of customers, employees, and partners as the withholding agent, we could become liable for taxes that are levied against third parties." - Updated: "Further, due to shifting economic and political conditions, tax policies, laws, or rates in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant changes in ways that could harm our financial condition and operating results." **Prior (2025):** We are subject to a variety of taxes and tax collection obligations in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Our effective tax rates are affected by a variety of factors, including changes in the mix of earnings in jurisdictions with different statutory tax rates, net gains and losses on hedges and related transactions under our foreign exchange risk management program, changes in our stock price for shares issued as employee compensation, changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets or liabilities, and the application of different provisions of tax laws or changes in tax laws, regulations, or accounting principles (including changes in the interpretation of existing laws). Further, if we are unable or fail to collect taxes on behalf of customers, employees and partners as the withholding agent, we could become liable for taxes that are levied against third parties. We are subject to regular review and audit by both domestic and foreign tax authorities. As a result, we have received, and may in the future receive, assessments in multiple jurisdictions, on various tax-related assertions, such as transfer-pricing adjustments or permanent-establishment claims. Any adverse outcome of such a review or audit could harm our financial condition and operating results, require adverse changes to our business practices, or subject us to additional litigation and regulatory inquiries. In addition, the determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires significant judgment and often involves uncertainty. Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, the ultimate tax outcome may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may affect our financial results in the period or periods for which such determination is made. Furthermore, due to shifting economic and political conditions, tax policies, laws, or rates in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant changes in ways that could harm our financial condition and operating results. For example, various jurisdictions around the world have enacted or are considering revenue-based taxes such as digital services taxes and other targeted taxes, which could lead to inconsistent and potentially overlapping international tax 22. 22. 22. 22. 22. 22. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents regimes. The U.S. has imposed a 1% excise tax on the fair market value of shares repurchased, which could potentially increase in the future. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is coordinating negotiations among more than 140 countries with the goal of achieving consensus around substantial changes to international tax policies, including the implementation of a minimum global effective tax rate of 15%, on which various jurisdictions around the world have either introduced draft legislation or adopted final legislation. Our effective tax rate and cash tax payments could increase as a result of these changes. **Current (2026):** We are subject to a variety of taxes and tax collection obligations in the US and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Our effective tax rates are affected by a variety of factors, including changes in the mix of earnings in jurisdictions with different statutory tax rates, net gains and losses on hedges and related transactions under our foreign exchange risk management program, changes in our stock price for shares issued as employee compensation, changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets or liabilities, and the application of different provisions of tax laws or changes in tax laws, regulations, or accounting principles (including changes in the interpretation of existing laws). Further, if we are unable or fail to collect taxes on behalf of customers, employees, and partners as the withholding agent, we could become liable for taxes that are levied against third parties. We are subject to regular review and audit by both domestic and foreign tax authorities. As a result, we have received, and may in the future receive, assessments in multiple jurisdictions, on various tax-related assertions, such as transfer-pricing adjustments or permanent-establishment claims. Any adverse outcome of such a review or audit could harm our financial condition and operating results, require adverse changes to our business practices, or subject us to additional litigation and regulatory inquiries. In addition, the determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires significant judgment and often involves uncertainty. Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, the ultimate tax outcome may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may affect our financial results in the period or periods for which such determination is made. Further, due to shifting economic and political conditions, tax policies, laws, or rates in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant changes in ways that could harm our financial condition and operating results. For example, various jurisdictions around the world have enacted or are considering revenue-based taxes such as digital services taxes and other targeted taxes, which could lead to inconsistent and potentially overlapping international tax regimes. The US has imposed a 1% excise tax on the fair market value of shares repurchased, which could increase in the future. Over 140 countries are negotiating changes to international tax policies led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), including a 15% global minimum tax rate. In January 2026, the OECD announced a "Side-by-Side Safe Harbor" that exempts US operations of US-parented companies from global minimum tax rules. Adoption of minimum tax rules outside the US could increase our effective tax rate and cash tax payments. --- ## Modified Risk: Intellectual Property **Key changes:** - Updated: "We rely on intellectual property such as trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets, as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions, to protect our proprietary technology and our brand." **Prior (2025):** 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. **Current (2026):** We rely on intellectual property such as trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets, as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions, to protect our proprietary technology and our brand. We have registered, and applied for the registration of, US and international trademarks, service marks, domain names, and copyrights. We have also filed patent applications in the US 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. --- ## Modified Risk: Culture and Workforce **Key changes:** - Updated: "Our people are critical for our continued success, so we work hard to create an environment where employees can have fulfilling careers and perform at a high level." - Updated: "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." **Prior (2025):** 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. **Current (2026):** Our people are critical for our continued success, so we work hard to create an environment where employees can have fulfilling careers 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, 2025, Alphabet had 190,820 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 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. --- ## Modified Risk: 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. **Key changes:** - Updated: "We are subject to numerous US 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." - Added: "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 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." - Added: "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) and the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software in Japan; regulations and legal settlements in the US, 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." - Added: "•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." - Added: "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 have already taken effect)." **Prior (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 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. **Current (2026):** We are subject to numerous US 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. 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 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) and the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software in Japan; regulations and legal settlements in the US, 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. •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 have already taken effect). The EU AI Act introduces various requirements for AI systems and models placed on the market in the EU, including specific transparency, safety, and copyright requirements for general purpose AI systems and the models on which those systems are based. Various countries, including Brazil, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam, have also enacted or are considering enacting regulations focused on AI. In the US, an increasing amount of legislative and regulatory activity regarding AI is taking place at the state level. In 2025, state legislatures considered more than 1,000 AI-related bills, including on fundamental model research and development, synthetic media, algorithmic decision-making, and many others, and took a variety of approaches to AI regulation. For instance, in 2025, California and New York passed the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act and the Responsible AI Safety and Education Act, respectively, each of which imposes safety and reporting obligations on developers of frontier models. At the same time, the White House's Executive Order, Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence, prioritizes deregulation, while its AI Action Plan emphasizes accelerating American innovation leadership. 17. 17. 17. 17. 17. 17. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents •Data privacy, collection, processing, and portability: Laws and regulations further restricting the collection, processing, 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); laws limiting use of data for AI training; and laws requiring data portability. •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. The scope of the text and data mining exception is being challenged before courts in the EU, which could harm some aspects of our business. •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 (UK) 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 limit low-quality, deceptive, or harmful content, or, on the other hand, may impinge on the rights of free expression and access to content. Additionally, new regulations apply to online child safety, including access and content restrictions as well as other limitations for minors, which may also conflict with rights of free expression and access to information. These regulations could result in our having to modify our products and services 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 US 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 US, 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. 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 and initiatives and adopted reporting frameworks and principles that may require considerable investments. For instance, AI's energy and water demands have made efforts to reduce our emissions more complex and challenging across every level. We cannot guarantee that our 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. --- ## Modified Risk: Our revenue growth rate could decline over time, and we may experience downward pressure on our operating margin in the future. **Key changes:** - Updated: "Our revenue growth rate could decline over time as a result of a number of factors, including changes in customer usage and demand for our existing products and increasing demand for competing technologies; changes in the devices and modalities used to access our products and services; changes in geographic mix; deceleration or declines in advertiser spending; competition; decreases in the pricing of our products and services; ongoing product and policy changes; and shifts to lower priced products and services." **Prior (2025):** Our revenue growth rate could decline over time as a result of a number of factors, including changes in the devices and modalities used to access our products and services; changes in geographic mix; deceleration or declines in advertiser spending; competition; changes in customer usage and demand for our existing products and increasing demand for new technologies; decreases in the pricing of our products and services; ongoing product and policy changes; and shifts to lower priced products and services. In addition, we may experience downward pressure on our operating margin resulting from a variety of factors, such as an increase in the mix of lower-margin products and services, in particular from the continued expansion of our business into new fields, including products and services such as our devices, Google Cloud, and consumer subscription products, as well as significant investments in Other Bets, all of which may have margins lower than those we generate from advertising. In particular, margins on our devices have had, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on our consolidated margins due to pressures on pricing and higher cost of sales. We may also experience downward pressure on our operating margins from increasing regulations, increasing competition, and increasing costs 12. 12. 12. 12. 12. 12. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents for many aspects of our business, including higher level of investment in technical infrastructure. Further, certain of our costs and expenses are generally less variable in nature and may not correlate to changes in revenue. We may also not be able to continue to execute our efficiency efforts successfully or in a timely manner. Due to these factors and the evolving nature of our business, our historical revenue growth rate and historical operating margin may not be indicative of our future performance. For additional information, see Trends in Our Business and Financial Effect and Revenues and Monetization Metrics in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. **Current (2026):** Our revenue growth rate could decline over time as a result of a number of factors, including changes in customer usage and demand for our existing products and increasing demand for competing technologies; changes in the devices and modalities used to access our products and services; changes in geographic mix; deceleration or declines in advertiser spending; competition; decreases in the pricing of our products and services; ongoing product and policy changes; and shifts to lower priced products and services. We may experience downward pressure on our operating margin resulting from a variety of factors. These include increasing costs for many aspects of our business resulting from a higher level of investment in technical infrastructure, increasing regulations, and increasing competition. Certain of our costs and expenses are relatively fixed and may not correlate to changes in revenue, and we may also not be able to continue to drive efficiencies at the rate we have in the past. We may also face margin compression from an increase in the mix of lower-margin products and services, in particular from the continued expansion of our business into new fields, including products and services such as Google Cloud, our devices, and consumer subscription products, as well as significant investments in Other Bets. For instance, margins on our devices have had, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on our consolidated margins due to pricing pressures and higher cost of sales. Due to these factors and the evolving nature of our business, our historical revenue growth rate and historical operating margin may not be indicative of our future performance. For additional information, see Trends in Our Business and Financial Effect and Revenues and Monetization Metrics in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. --- ## Modified Risk: Our increasing investment in new businesses, products, services, and technologies is inherently risky, and could divert management attention and harm our business, financial condition, and operating results. **Key changes:** - Updated: "We have invested and expect to expand our investment in new businesses, products, services, and technologies in a wide range of industries beyond online advertising." - Updated: "Table of Contents Table of Contents Within Google Services, we continue to invest heavily in devices, including our smartphones, home devices, and wearables, which is a highly competitive market with frequent introduction of new products and services, rapid adoption of technological advancements by competitors, increased market saturation in developed countries, short product life cycles, evolving industry standards, continual improvement in performance characteristics, and price and feature sensitivity on the part of consumers and businesses." - Updated: "Within Google Cloud, we devote significant resources to develop and deploy our enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace, and we are advancing our AI platforms and models to support these tools and technologies, including the development of our custom TPUs and how we deliver them to our customers." - Updated: "For instance, we may be subject to government audits and cost reviews, and any failure to comply or any deficiencies found may expose us to legal, financial, and reputational risks." - Updated: "Within Other Bets, we are investing significantly in areas such as life sciences and transportation, among others." **Prior (2025):** We have invested and expect to continue to invest in new businesses, products, services, and technologies in a wide range of industries beyond online advertising. The investments that we are making across our businesses, such 11. 11. 11. 11. 11. 11. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents as building AI capabilities into new and existing products and services, reflect our ongoing efforts to innovate and provide products and services that are helpful to users, advertisers, publishers, customers, and content providers. Our investments ultimately may not be commercially viable or may not result in an adequate return of capital and, in pursuing new strategies, we may incur unanticipated liabilities. We have invested significantly and expect to continue to invest significantly in our property and equipment, including our technical infrastructure, and we expect these assets to benefit our business over their estimated useful lives. Changes in facts and circumstances such as changes to ongoing business operations, changes in the planned use and utilization of assets, and/or technological advancements, could indicate a change in the period over which we expect to benefit from the asset and impact our financial condition and operating results. Innovations in our products and services could also result in changes to user behavior and affect our revenue trends. These endeavors involve significant risks and uncertainties, including diversion of resources and management attention from current operations, different monetization models, and the use of alternative investment, governance, or compensation structures that may fail to adequately align incentives across the company or otherwise accomplish their objectives. Within Google Services, we continue to invest heavily in devices, including our smartphones, home devices, and wearables, which is a highly competitive market with frequent introduction of new products and services, rapid adoption of technological advancements by competitors, increased market saturation in developed countries, short product life cycles, evolving industry standards, continual improvement in performance characteristics, and price and feature sensitivity on the part of consumers and businesses. There can be no assurance we will be able to provide devices that compete effectively. Within Google Cloud, we devote significant resources to develop and deploy our enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace, and we are advancing our AI platforms and models to support these tools and technologies. We are incurring costs to build and maintain infrastructure to support cloud computing services, invest in cybersecurity, and hire talent, particularly to support and scale our sales force. At the same time, our competitors are rapidly developing and deploying cloud-based services. Pricing, including platform switching costs, are challenging across the industry, and delivery models are competitive and constantly evolving, and we may therefore not achieve our business objectives. Further, our business with financial services, healthcare, and public sector customers may present additional risks, including regulatory compliance risks. For instance, we may be subject to government audits and cost reviews, and any failure to comply or any deficiencies found may expose us to legal, financial, and/or reputational risks. Evolving laws and regulations may require us to make new capital investments, build new products, and seek partners to deliver localized services in other countries, and we may not be able to meet sovereign operating requirements. Within Other Bets, we are investing significantly in areas such as health, life sciences, and transportation, among others. These investment areas face intense competition from large, experienced, and well-funded competitors, and our offerings, many of which involve the development of new and emerging technologies, may not be successful, or be able to compete effectively or operate at sufficient levels of profitability. In addition, new and evolving products and services, including those that use AI, raise ethical, technological, legal, regulatory, and other challenges, which may negatively affect our brands and demand for our products and services. Because all of these investment areas are inherently risky, no assurance can be given that such strategies and offerings will be successful or will not harm our reputation, financial condition, and operating results. **Current (2026):** We have invested and expect to expand our investment in new businesses, products, services, and technologies in a wide range of industries beyond online advertising. The investments that we are making across our businesses - such as building AI-optimized infrastructure, including our custom TPUs, and integrating AI capabilities into new and existing products and services - reflect our ongoing efforts to innovate and provide products and services that are helpful to users, advertisers, publishers, customers, content providers, and distribution partners. Our investments ultimately may not be commercially viable or may not result in an adequate return of capital and, in pursuing new strategies, we may incur unanticipated liabilities. To meet the compute capacity demands of AI training and inference, as well as traditional cloud computing services, we are entering into significant leasing arrangements with third party operators, which may increase costs and operational complexity. We also have a number of large, long-duration commercial agreements, which could increase our liabilities and obligations in the event of nonperformance by us, our counterparties, or vendors. In such nonperformance or an industry downturn, we may incur additional liabilities, have excess capacity that we cannot easily redeploy, and not receive payments from our counterparties or customers. We have invested and expect to significantly expand our investment in property and equipment, including our technical infrastructure, and we expect these assets to benefit our business over their estimated useful lives. Changes in facts and circumstances such as changes to historical asset performance, expected technology advancements, and future network deployment plans could change the period over which we expect to benefit from the asset and impact our financial condition and operating results. Innovations in our products and services could also result in changes to user and customer behavior and affect our revenue trends. These endeavors involve significant risks and uncertainties, including diversion of resources and management attention from current operations, different monetization models, and the use of alternative investment, governance, or compensation structures that may fail to adequately align incentives across the company or otherwise accomplish their objectives. 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 Within Google Services, we continue to invest heavily in devices, including our smartphones, home devices, and wearables, which is a highly competitive market with frequent introduction of new products and services, rapid adoption of technological advancements by competitors, increased market saturation in developed countries, short product life cycles, evolving industry standards, continual improvement in performance characteristics, and price and feature sensitivity on the part of consumers and businesses. There can be no assurance we will be able to provide devices that compete effectively. Within Google Cloud, we devote significant resources to develop and deploy our enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace, and we are advancing our AI platforms and models to support these tools and technologies, including the development of our custom TPUs and how we deliver them to our customers. We are incurring significant and increasing costs and new liabilities, including contingent liabilities, to build and maintain infrastructure to support cloud computing services, invest in cybersecurity, and hire talent. Meanwhile, our competitors are rapidly developing and deploying cloud-based services and capacity. Pricing and delivery models, which are subject to increasing regulatory scrutiny and requirements, are competitive and constantly evolving, and we may therefore not achieve our business objectives. Further, our business with financial services, healthcare, and public sector customers may present additional risks, including regulatory compliance risks. For instance, we may be subject to government audits and cost reviews, and any failure to comply or any deficiencies found may expose us to legal, financial, and reputational risks. Evolving laws and regulations may require us to make new capital investments, build new products, and seek partners to deliver localized services in other countries, and we may not be able to meet sovereign operating requirements. Within Other Bets, we are investing significantly in areas such as life sciences and transportation, among others. These investment areas face intense competition from large, experienced, and well-funded competitors, and our offerings, many of which involve the development of new and emerging technologies, may not be successful, or be able to compete effectively or operate at sufficient levels of profitability. In addition, new and evolving products and services, including those that use AI, raise ethical, technological, legal, regulatory, and other challenges, which could harm our brands and demand for our products and services. Because all of these investment areas are inherently risky, no assurance can be given that such strategies and offerings will be successful or will not harm our reputation, financial condition, and operating results. --- ## Modified Risk: 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. **Key changes:** - Updated: "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, design of our products and services, personal injury and other tort and nuisance theories, consumer protection claims, including how we moderate content on our platforms, AI, and other matters." - Updated: "Table of Contents Table of Contents For example, the DOJ and a number of state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit concerning our Search and Search advertising practices and our compliance with US antitrust laws." - Updated: "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 differ from our estimates." **Prior (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 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. **Current (2026):** 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, design of our products and services, personal injury and other tort and nuisance theories, consumer protection claims, including how we moderate content on our platforms, AI, and other matters. The US Department of Justice (DOJ), various states, and other plaintiffs have filed, and may continue to file in the future, several antitrust lawsuits about aspects of our business, including our advertising technologies and practices, the operation and distribution of Google Search, and the operation and distribution of Android operating system and Play Store. If we are unsuccessful in these lawsuits, we could face significant expenses to implement the remedies, and such costs and alterations could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. 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 For example, the DOJ and a number of state Attorneys General filed a lawsuit concerning our Search and Search advertising practices and our compliance with US antitrust laws. In August 2024, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled against Google, and in December 2025, entered a final judgment requiring remedies, which, among other things, imposes restrictions on how we distribute our services and requires us to share certain search data with and offer syndication services to certain competitors. In January 2026, we appealed the final judgment and moved to pause implementation of certain remedies. In February 2026, the DOJ and state Attorneys General also appealed. Furthermore, in December 2020, a number of state Attorneys General, led by the Texas Attorney General, filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas concerning our advertising technology and our compliance with US antitrust laws and other laws. In January 2023, the DOJ and a number of state Attorneys General sued in the Eastern District of Virginia alleging similar antitrust violations relating to our advertising technology. In April 2025, the presiding judge issued a mixed decision in the DOJ case against us, ruling that neither our advertiser tools nor the DoubleClick and AdMeld acquisitions were anticompetitive, but that our publisher tools unfairly excluded rivals. A separate proceeding to determine remedies, the range of which varies widely, took place in September 2025 with the parties presenting differing remedy proposals. The DOJ's remedy proposal includes structural remedies that could harm our business. Closing arguments were held in November 2025, and we are awaiting a final judgment. After that judgment, we plan to appeal the adverse portion of the April 2025 decision and potentially aspects of the remedies decision. A trial in the state Attorneys General case in the Eastern District of Texas will take place after a decision on remedies is issued in the DOJ advertising technology case, and could result in 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 US 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 US 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 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 differ from 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. --- ## Modified Risk: We face a number of manufacturing and supply chain risks that could affect our ability to supply our products and services and harm our business, financial condition, and operating results. **Key changes:** - Removed: "We face a number of risks related to manufacturing and supply chain management, which could affect our ability to supply both our products and our services." - Updated: "We also rely on third parties to supply components and distribute our products and services." - Updated: "Table of Contents Table of Contents" **Prior (2025):** We face a number of risks related to manufacturing and supply chain management, which could affect our ability to supply both our products and our services. We rely on contract manufacturers to manufacture or assemble our devices as well as servers and networking equipment used in our technical infrastructure, certain components of which we may supply. We rely on third parties to supply components and distribute our products and services. Our business could be negatively affected if we are not able to engage these companies with the necessary capabilities or capacity on reasonable terms, or if those we engage fail to meet their obligations (whether due to financial difficulties or other reasons), or make adverse changes in the pricing or other material terms of our arrangements with them. 13. 13. 13. 13. 13. 13. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents We have experienced and/or may in the future experience supply shortages, price increases, quality issues, and/or longer lead times that could negatively affect our operations, driven by raw material and/or component availability, manufacturing capacity, labor shortages, industry allocations, logistics capacity, inflation, foreign currency exchange rates, tariffs, sanctions and export controls, trade disputes and barriers, forced labor concerns, sustainability sourcing requirements, geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts, natural disasters or pandemics, the effects of climate change (such as sea level rise, drought, flooding, heat waves, wildfires and resultant air quality effects and power shutdowns associated with wildfire prevention, and increased storm severity), power and transmission availability, and significant changes in the financial or business condition of our suppliers. Some of the components we use in our technical infrastructure and our devices are available from only one or limited sources, and we may not be able to find replacement vendors on favorable terms in the event of a supply chain disruption. A significant supply interruption that affects us or our vendors could delay critical data center upgrades or expansions and delay consumer product availability. We may enter into long-term contracts for materials and products that commit us to significant terms and conditions. We may face costs for materials and products that are not consumed due to market demand, technological change, changed consumer preferences, quality, product recalls, and warranty issues. For instance, because certain of our hardware supply contracts have volume-based pricing or minimum purchase requirements, if the volume of sales of our devices decreases or does not reach projected targets, we could face increased materials and manufacturing costs or other financial liabilities that could make our products more costly per unit to manufacture and harm our financial condition and operating results. Furthermore, certain of our competitors may negotiate more favorable contractual terms based on volume and other commitments that may provide them with competitive advantages and may affect our supply. For example, industry supply capacity for AI accelerators, including Graphics Processing Units, or GPUs, as well as our custom-built TPUs, is highly competitive and rapidly evolving. If we are unable to negotiate favorable contractual terms or our competitors claim the supply or capacity first, we may face supply constraints. Our devices have had, and in the future may have, quality issues resulting from design, manufacturing, or operations. Sometimes, these issues may be caused by components we purchase from other manufacturers or suppliers. If the quality of our products and services does not meet expectations or our products or services are defective or require a recall, it could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. We require our suppliers and business partners to comply with laws and, where applicable, our company policies and practices, such as the Google Supplier Code of Conduct, regarding workplace and employment practices, data security, environmental compliance, and intellectual property licensing, but we do not control them or their practices. Violations of law or unethical business practices could result in supply chain disruptions, canceled orders, harm to key relationships, and damage to our reputation. Their failure to procure necessary license rights to intellectual property could affect our ability to sell our products or services and expose us to litigation or financial claims. **Current (2026):** We rely on contract manufacturers to manufacture or assemble our devices as well as servers and networking equipment used in our technical infrastructure, certain components of which we may supply. We also rely on third parties to supply components and distribute our products and services. Our business could be harmed if we are not able to engage these companies with the necessary capabilities or capacity on reasonable terms, or if those we engage fail to meet their obligations (whether due to financial difficulties or other reasons), or make adverse changes in the pricing or other material terms of our arrangements with them. We have experienced and may in the future experience supply shortages, price increases, quality issues, or longer lead times that could harm our operations, driven by raw material or component availability, manufacturing capacity, labor shortages, industry allocations, logistics capacity, inflation, foreign currency exchange rates, tariffs, sanctions and export controls, trade disputes and barriers, forced labor concerns, sourcing requirements, geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts, natural disasters or pandemics, the effects of climate change, power and transmission availability, and significant changes in the financial or business condition of our suppliers. Some of the components we use in our technical infrastructure and our devices are available from only one or limited sources, and we may not be able to find replacement vendors on favorable terms in the event of a supply chain disruption. A significant supply interruption that affects us or our vendors could delay critical data center or network infrastructure upgrades or expansions and delay consumer product availability. Our ability to scale our technical infrastructure is increasingly constrained by the availability of power, water, and land. For example, energy supply is constrained globally due to the significant increase in demand for and limited availability of energy to power AI compute. Securing this capacity involves entering into complex, long-lead-time arrangements. Additionally, manufacturing and supply of servers and network equipment for our technical infrastructure, particularly for specialized AI chips, is limited to a small number of qualified suppliers. Extended or unforeseen disruptions at these suppliers could impact our ability to meet customer demand. Failure to secure sufficient capacity in a timely manner would limit our ability to train models and serve Cloud customers. We may enter into long-term contracts for materials and products that commit us to significant terms and conditions. We may face costs for materials and products that are not consumed due to market demand, technological change, excess or obsolete inventory, changed consumer preferences, quality, product recalls, and warranty issues. Certain of our competitors may negotiate more favorable contractual terms based on volume and other commitments that may provide them with competitive advantages and may affect our supply. For example, industry supply capacity for AI accelerators, including GPUs as well as our custom-built TPUs, is highly competitive and rapidly evolving. If we are unable to negotiate favorable contractual terms or our competitors claim the supply or capacity first, we may face increased costs and supply constraints, which could harm our business, financial condition, and operating results. Our devices have had, and in the future may have, quality issues resulting from design, manufacturing, or operations. Sometimes, these issues may be caused by components we purchase from other manufacturers or suppliers. In addition, quality issues with equipment used in our technical infrastructure could constrain our capacity to support the delivery and continued development of our products and services. If the quality of our products and services does not meet expectations, we lack the capacity to deliver them, or our products or services are defective or require a corrective action or recall, it could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. We require our suppliers and business partners to comply with laws and, where applicable, our company policies and practices, such as the Google Supplier Code of Conduct, regarding workplace and employment practices, data security, environmental compliance, and intellectual property licensing, but we do not control them or their practices. Violations of law or unethical business practices could result in supply chain disruptions, canceled orders, harm to key relationships, and damage to our reputation. Their failure to procure necessary license rights to intellectual property could affect our ability to sell our products or services and expose us to litigation or financial claims. 12. 12. 12. 12. 12. 12. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of ContentsAlphabet Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents --- ## Modified Risk: We generate a significant portion of our revenues from advertising. Reduced spending by advertisers, a loss of partners, shifts in online advertising, new and evolving advertising formats, or new or existing technologies that block ads online or affect our ability to personalize ads could harm our business. **Key changes:** - Updated: "We generated more than 70% of total revenues from online advertising in 2025." - Updated: "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." - Updated: "Expenditures by advertisers tend to correlate with overall economic conditions." **Prior (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 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. **Current (2026):** We generated more than 70% of total revenues from online advertising in 2025. 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. We believe AI is quickly reshaping the advertising industry, including how ads are delivered online, and we and our competitors are constantly adjusting to meet this shift and provide new and evolving advertising formats. There is no assurance that we will adapt effectively and competitively to meet this shift, and that such advertising formats, strategies, and offerings will be successful. Changes to our advertising policies and data privacy practices, as well as changes to other companies' advertising 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 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. 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. --- *Data sourced from SEC EDGAR. Last updated 2026-05-05.*