Google Fiber Privacy Notice

Last modified: 2023-07-28 (view archived versions)

Introduction

The Google Privacy Policy applies to all of the services offered by Google Fiber Inc. and Google Fiber North America Inc. GFiber and Google Fiber are the brands through which we bring you the services.

This Google Fiber Privacy Notice (this “Privacy Notice”) explains some important additional things we’d like you to know about information we collect when you visit Google Fiber websites or when you use Google Fiber services, such as Google Fiber internet and Google Fiber Phone (we call these together “Services”), and how we use and disclose that information.

This Privacy Notice does not apply to the collection and use of information from other Google services (such as Gmail or Google Search) used while connected to Google Fiber internet or to the Google Fiber Webpass service – such information will be treated in accordance with applicable Google or Google Fiber Webpass policies.

If you are a California resident, please see the “U.S. State Privacy Law Requirement” section below.

Additional information we collect

We collect information provided by you directly, indirectly through your use of our Services and from outside sources as described below. To sign up for Services, users will be asked to provide an existing Google Account or to create a new one. You may be asked to provide additional identifiers and commercial information, such as billing address, service address or location, and bank account information when you sign up for Services.

We may also obtain identifiers, inferences, demographic and other information about our current or prospective Google Fiber users from outside sources for marketing purposes (such as publicly or commercially available demographic, geographic, address or interest information).

We may have a record of whether third party permission was required to install Google Fiber equipment for a Google Fiber user, as well as identifiers such as the third party’s name and contact information.

During the initial provisioning or installation of Services, and during any subsequent changes, updates or attempts to improve our delivery of service to you, or resolve issues you bring to our attention, we may access and collect unique device identifiers and other technical information from or about computer and network hardware and software, modems, phone boxes, or other systems or devices used in connection with Services.

When you use Google Fiber Phone Services, we collect internet and electronic network activity information such as your call history (including calling party phone number, called party phone number, date, time and duration of call), voicemail greetings, voicemail messages, Short Message Service (SMS) messages, recorded conversations, and other data related to your account.

How we use information we collect

The Google Privacy Policy explains how we use information we collect, including information collected through our Services that is associated with your Google Account. Below is further information about how we use information collected from certain Services.

Google Fiber internet: We use the information collected from the use of Google Fiber internet for the following business purposes: network management, security, maintenance or other related purposes outlined in our Network Management Guide, or for legal reasons. Technical information (such as device identifiers, IP address and signal/speed test results) may be associated with the Google Account you use for Google Fiber, but will not be used for any other purpose other than as described above without your consent. Other information from the use of Google Fiber internet (such as URLs of websites visited or content of communications) will not be associated with the Google Account you use for Google Fiber, except with your consent or to meet any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request.

Google Fiber Phone: All information we collect about your use of Google Fiber Phone may be associated with the Google Account being used for Google Fiber Phone. In addition to the business and commercial purposes listed in the Google Privacy Policy, and the article How Google Voice works, we use this information for our business purposes, such as to provide your service, bill you for our Services, help you troubleshoot any issues you are experiencing, verify your identity, and protect you and us from fraud, phishing or other misconduct. As described below, some of your Google Fiber Phone information is treated as CPNI and used in accordance with federal law.

Information we disclose

We do not disclose personal information with companies, organizations and individuals outside of Google except in the circumstances set out in the Google Privacy Policy (such as with your consent, with domain administrators, with service providers for external processing and for legal reasons). For example, we disclose personal information for our business purposes with service providers that help us install our Services, provide customer support, process payments, and provide other services that help us provide and improve our Services.

If you use Google Fiber Phone, your phone number may be displayed to the person you’ve called. You can find out how to block your phone number from being displayed here.

We may disclose non-personally identifiable information publicly and with our partners – like content providers, publishers, advertisers or connected sites. To the extent this information includes de-identified information, Google Fiber processes, maintains, and uses this information only in a de-identified fashion and will not attempt to re-identify such information, except as permitted by law.

Personal information collected through the SMS short code program will not be disclosed, sold or rented to third parties outside of Google and its service providers as set out in this Privacy Notice.

Customer Proprietary Network Information

We take our duty to protect your Customer Proprietary Network Information (“CPNI”) very seriously. Federal law requires certain voice and Internet access providers, including interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol service providers like Google Fiber Phone, to protect certain personal information that we generate or access in providing the Services to you. CPNI for voice services includes, but is not limited to, call details, call location information, and information about the rates and features of the services that you use. CPNI does not include customer list information, such as your name, address, or phone number. We may use the information we collect about your use of Google Fiber Phone to send you information about the Services in compliance with our obligations to protect your CPNI. Here are the ways we treat your CPNI associated with Google Fiber Phone:

Securing your CPNI. We implement safeguards that are designed to protect your CPNI. We authenticate you with a password or other permissible means before we disclose any CPNI.
Using CPNI without your additional approval is limited to specific purposes. By using the Google Fiber Phone services, you allow us to use, disclose, and permit access to your CPNI without your additional approval only for the following limited purposes:
To provide and offer Services and features among the category of Services you’re purchasing from us. This includes using CPNI in the normal course of business, such as to enable billing, customer service, and troubleshooting.
To protect our rights and property.
To protect our users and other carriers from fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful uses of the services.
To comply with applicable laws and legal process. For any other purpose permitted by federal law.

Except for these purposes, we will not use, disclose, or permit access to your CPNI associated with Google Fiber Phone without your additional approval.

Data Retention

We store personal information for as long as necessary to carry out the purposes for which we originally collected it and for other business purposes explained in this Privacy Notice. Retention periods vary by data type, for example:

We keep data required to provide our Services until it is no longer needed to provide our Services, such as customer account information like your name, contact information, and plan information.
Your settings may be stored locally on Google Fiber-owned equipment. Equipment is reflashed upon return, which results in deletion of your settings.
We retain some data for longer periods of time when necessary for legitimate business or legal purposes, such as security, fraud and abuse prevention, tax, or financial record-keeping.

U.S. State Privacy Law Requirements

Some U.S. state privacy laws, like the California Consumer Privacy Act or “CCPA”, require specific disclosures for state residents.

Subject to certain limitations, these U.S. state privacy laws provide rights to consumers to have notice about the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information, request access to their personal information (including how we use and disclose that information), sometimes in a portable format, request correction of inaccurate personal information, request deletion of their personal information, request to opt out of the “sale”, “sharing”, or “targeted advertising” of personal information (where applicable), request to limit use of sensitive personal information (where applicable), and to not be discriminated against for exercising their rights.

Google Fiber does not “sell” or “share” your personal information. Please visit Google’s My Ad Center to manage your settings regarding any use of your personal information for “targeted advertising”.

To exercise your rights, you can call (866) 777-7550 or click here. The online form details the pieces of information needed to verify your identity. Please review the Google Privacy Policy for additional choices that apply to Google services.

If an authorized agent submits a request on your behalf, we may confirm the request and your identity directly with you unless they demonstrate they have a power of attorney. Please do not provide any sensitive personal information in connection with this request, such as a driver's license or other government-issued ID. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our practices, please contact us. If we deny your request, you may appeal our decision by contacting us. If you have concerns about the results of an appeal, you may contact the attorney general in the state where you reside.

The CCPA requires a description of data practices in the preceding 12 months using specific categories. The table below uses these categories to organize the information in this Privacy Notice. We collect this information from the following sources: information you provide, information we collect automatically through use of the Services, and information we get from other sources. The CCPA treats certain kinds of information, like precise geolocation, as sensitive; when we collect this information, we only use it for purposes permitted by the CCPA, like to provide services that are expected by our users.

Categories of personal information we collect	Business purposes for which information may be used or disclosed	Parties with whom information may be disclosed
Identifiers such as your name, phone number, and address, email, as well as unique identifiers tied to the account, browser, application, or device you’re using. Demographic information, such as your age and gender. Commercial information, such as your payment information, your service plan, and a history of purchases you make with us. Internet, network, and other activity information such as information about the interaction of your apps, browsers, and devices with our Services (like IP address, crash reports, Device IDs and system activity). Geolocation data, including approximate and precise geolocation data, such as may be determined by IP address, and other data from sensors that may provide Google Fiber with information on nearby devices, Wi-Fi access points, and cell towers, depending in part on your device settings. Audio, electronic, visual and similar information, such as audio information from customer service calls, and information from customer support tickets Inferences regarding your interests and your household, including your home.	Protecting against security threats, abuse, and illegal activity: Google Fiber uses and may disclose information to detect, prevent and respond to security incidents, and for protecting against other malicious, deceptive, fraudulent or illegal activity or harm to the rights, property or safety of Google Fiber, our users, or the public as required or permitted by law. For example, to protect our Services, Google Fiber may receive or disclose information about IP addresses that malicious actors have compromised. Auditing and Measurement: Google Fiber uses information for analytics and measurement to understand how our Services are used. We may disclose non-personally identifiable information publicly and with our partners, such as to show trends about general use of our Services. Maintaining and improving our Services: Google Fiber uses information to ensure our Services are working as intended, such as tracking outages or troubleshooting bugs and other issues we identify or that you report to us. Research and development: Google Fiber uses information to improve our Services and to develop new products, features, and technologies that benefit our users and the public. Use of service providers: Google Fiber discloses information with service providers to perform services on our behalf, in compliance with our Privacy Notice and other appropriate confidentiality and security measures. For example, we may rely on service providers to help provide customer support. Marketing: Google Fiber uses information to market our Services. Legal reasons: Google Fiber also uses information to satisfy applicable laws or regulations and discloses information in response to legal process or enforceable government requests, including to law enforcement.	Service providers, trusted businesses or persons that process information on Google Fiber’s behalf, based on our instructions and in compliance with our Privacy Notice and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures. Third parties with your consent or at your direction, such as services that integrate with our Services. Law enforcement or other third parties, for the legal reasons described in “Information we disclose.”

Please note, if you are looking to make a request for access, correction, or deletion for other Google products or for Google Fiber Webpass service, please use the following resources:

Google: Privacy Policy
Webpass: Privacy Policy