Alphabet Inc.

Previous wording

Our operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those described below, which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results, and affect the trading price of our Class A and Class C stock.

Current wording

Our operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those described below, which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results, and may affect the trading price and price volatility of our Class A and Class C stock.

Previous wording

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

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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 wording

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.

Previous wording

Our ongoing 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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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 wording

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.

Previous wording

Our business environment is rapidly evolving and intensely competitive. Our businesses face changing technologies, shifting user needs, and frequent introductions of rival products and services. To compete successfully, we must accurately anticipate technology developments and deliver innovative, relevant and useful products, services, and technologies in a timely manner. As our businesses evolve, the competitive pressure to innovate will encompass a wider range of products and services. We must continue to invest significant resources in technical infrastructure and R&D, including through acquisitions, in order to enhance our technology, products, and services.

Current wording

Our business environment is rapidly evolving and intensely competitive. Our businesses face changing technologies, shifting user needs, and frequent introductions of rival products and services. To compete successfully, we must accurately anticipate technology developments and deliver innovative, relevant, and useful products, services, and technologies in a timely manner. For example, with the rise of AI in recent years, we have increasingly focused our investments in building powerful AI tools and AI enhancements to our existing products and services to better cater to our users, customers, and other partners. As our businesses evolve, the competitive pressure to innovate will encompass a wider range of products and services. We must continue to invest significant resources in technical infrastructure, including the development of our custom TPUs, and research and development, including through acquisitions, in order to enhance our technology, products, and services.

Previous wording

We have many competitors in different industries. Our current and potential domestic and international competitors range from large and established companies to emerging start-ups. Some competitors have longer operating histories and well-established relationships in various sectors. They can use their experience and resources in ways that could affect our competitive position, including by making acquisitions and entering into other strategic arrangements; continuing to invest heavily in technical infrastructure, R&D, and in talent; initiating intellectual property and competition claims (whether or not meritorious); and continuing to compete for users, advertisers, customers, and content providers. Further, discrepancies in enforcement of existing laws may enable our lesser known competitors to aggressively interpret those laws without commensurate scrutiny, thereby affording them competitive advantages. Our competitors may also be able to innovate and provide products and services faster or more cost effectively than we can or may foresee the need for products and services before we do.

Current wording

We have many competitors in different industries. Our current and potential domestic and international competitors range from large and established companies to emerging start-ups. Some competitors have longer operating histories and well-established relationships in various sectors. They can use their experience and resources in ways that could affect our competitive position, including by making acquisitions and entering into other strategic arrangements; continuing to invest heavily in technical infrastructure, research and development, and in talent; initiating intellectual property and competition claims (whether or not meritorious); and continuing to compete for users, advertisers, customers, and content providers. Further, discrepancies in enforcement of existing laws may enable our lesser known competitors to aggressively interpret those laws without commensurate scrutiny, thereby affording them competitive advantages. Our competitors may also be able to innovate and provide products and services faster or more cost effectively than we can or may foresee the need for products and services before we do.

Previous wording

We are expanding our investment in AI across the entire company. This includes generative AI and continuing to integrate AI capabilities into our products and services. AI technology and services are highly competitive, rapidly evolving, and require significant investment, including technical infrastructure, development and operational costs, to meet the changing needs and expectations of our existing users and attract new users. Our ability to deploy certain AI technologies critical for our products and services and for our business strategy may depend on the availability and pricing of third-party equipment and other technical infrastructure operations costs, including network capacity, energy, and equipment costs. Additionally, other companies may develop AI products and technologies that are similar or superior to our technologies or more cost-effective to develop and/or deploy. Other companies may also have (or in the future may obtain) patents or other proprietary rights that would prevent, limit, or interfere with our ability to make, use, or sell our own AI products and services.

Current wording

We are developing frontier generative AI models and building AI capabilities into products and services across the company, tailoring them to the evolving preferences of our users and customers. AI technology and services are highly competitive, rapidly evolving, and require significant investment, including technical infrastructure, development, and operational costs. Our ability to deploy certain AI technologies critical for our products and services and for our business strategy may depend on the availability and pricing of third-party equipment and other technical infrastructure operations costs, including network capacity, energy, and equipment costs. Additionally, other companies may develop

Previous wording

Our financial condition and operating results may also suffer if our products and services are not responsive in a timely manner to the evolving needs and desires of our users, advertisers, publishers, customers, and content providers, or if we miscalculate those needs and desires and invest significantly in areas that fail to gain sufficient market traction. As new and existing technologies continue to develop, competitors and new entrants may be able to offer experiences that are, or that are perceived to be, substantially similar to or better than ours. These technologies could reduce usage of our products and services, and force us to compete in different ways and expend significant resources to develop and operate equal or better products and services. Competitors’ success in providing compelling products and services or in attracting and retaining users, advertisers, publishers, customers, and content providers could harm our financial condition and operating results.

Current wording

Our financial condition and operating results may also suffer if our products and services are not responsive in a timely manner to the evolving needs and desires of our users, advertisers, publishers, customers, and content providers, or if we miscalculate those needs and desires and invest significantly in areas that fail to gain sufficient market traction. As new and existing technologies continue to develop, competitors and new entrants may be able to offer experiences that are, or that are perceived to be, substantially similar to or better than ours, and the consumers may change how they obtain information online, potentially reducing the utility of our existing products and services. These technologies could reduce usage of our products and services, and force us to compete in different ways and expend significant resources to develop and operate equal or better products and services. Competitors' success in providing compelling products and services or in attracting and retaining users, advertisers, publishers, customers, and content providers could harm our financial condition and operating results.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

Our patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights are important assets for us. Various events outside of our control pose a threat to our intellectual property rights, as well as to our products, services, and technologies. For example, effective intellectual property protection may not be available in every country in which our products and services are distributed or made available through the Internet. Also, the efforts we have taken to protect our proprietary rights may not be sufficient or effective. Although we seek to obtain patent protection for our innovations, it is possible we may not be able to protect some of these innovations. Moreover, we may not have adequate patent or copyright protection for certain innovations that later turn out to be important. There is always the possibility that the scope of the protection gained will be insufficient or that an issued patent may be deemed invalid or unenforceable.

Current wording

Our patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights are important assets for us. Various events outside of our control pose a threat to our intellectual property rights, as well as to our products, services, and technologies. For example, effective intellectual property protection may not be available in every country in which our products and services are distributed or made available through the Internet. Also, the efforts we have taken and may take in the future to protect our proprietary rights, including obtaining copyright and patent protections for our important innovations, including AI innovations, may not be sufficient or effective. There is also the possibility that an issued patent may be deemed invalid or unenforceable.

Previous wording

We also seek to maintain certain intellectual property as trade secrets. The secrecy of such trade secrets and other sensitive information could be compromised, which could cause us to lose the competitive advantage resulting from these trade secrets. We also face risks associated with our trademarks. For example, there is a risk that the word “Google” could become so commonly used that it becomes synonymous with the word “search.” Some courts have ruled that "Google" is a protectable trademark, but it is possible that other courts, particularly those outside of the U.S., may reach a different determination. If this happens, we could lose protection for this trademark, which could result in other people using the word “Google” to refer to their own products, thus diminishing our brand.

Current wording

We also seek to maintain certain intellectual property as trade secrets. The confidentiality of such trade secrets and other sensitive information could be compromised, which could cause us to lose the competitive advantage resulting from these trade secrets. We also face risks associated with our trademarks. For example, there is a risk that the word "Google" could become so commonly used that it becomes synonymous with the word "search." Some courts have ruled that "Google" is a protectable trademark, but it is possible that other courts, particularly those outside of the US, may reach a different determination. If this happens, we could lose protection for this trademark.

Previous wording

Any significant impairment of our intellectual property rights could harm our business and our ability to compete. Also, protecting our intellectual property rights is costly and time consuming. Any increase in the unauthorized use of our intellectual property could make it more expensive to do business and harm our financial condition and operating results.

Current wording

Any significant impairment of our intellectual property rights could harm our business and ability to compete. Protecting our intellectual property rights is costly and time consuming; any increase in unauthorized use could make it more expensive to do business and harm our financial condition and operating results.

Previous wording

Our strong brands have significantly contributed to the success of our business. Maintaining and enhancing the brands within Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets increases our ability to enter new categories and launch new and innovative products and services that better serve the needs of our users, advertisers, customers, content providers, and other partners. Our brands have been, and may in the future be, negatively affected by a number of factors, including, among others, reputational issues, third-party content shared on our platforms, data privacy and security issues and developments, and product or technical performance failures. For example, if we fail to respond appropriately to the sharing of misinformation or objectionable content on our services and/or products or objectionable practices by advertisers, or otherwise to adequately address user concerns, our users may lose confidence in our brands.

Current wording

new and innovative products and services that better serve the needs of our users, advertisers, customers, content providers, and other partners. Our brands have been, and may in the future be, harmed by a number of factors, including, among others, reputational issues, third-party content shared on our platforms, data privacy and security issues and developments, issues in delivering age-appropriate experiences to minors, and product or technical performance failures. For example, if we fail to respond appropriately to the sharing of misinformation or objectionable content on our services or products or objectionable practices by advertisers, or otherwise to adequately address user concerns, our users may lose confidence in our brands. Furthermore, failure to maintain and enhance our brands could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. Our success will depend largely on our ability to remain a technology leader and continue to provide high-quality, trustworthy, innovative products and services that are truly useful and play a valuable role in a range of settings.

Previous wording

We face a number of manufacturing and supply chain risks that could harm our business, financial condition, and operating results.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

The availability of our products and services and fulfillment of our customer contracts depend on the continuing operation of our information technology and communications systems. Our systems are vulnerable to damage, interference, or interruption from modifications or upgrades, terrorist attacks, state-sponsored attacks, natural disasters or pandemics, geopolitical tensions or armed conflicts, export controls and sanctions, 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 challenges, utility outages, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, software bugs, cyber attacks, supply-chain attacks, computer denial of service attacks, phishing schemes, or other attempts to harm or access our systems. Some of our data centers are located in areas with a high risk of major earthquakes or other natural disasters. Our data centers are also subject to break-ins, sabotage, and intentional acts of vandalism, and, in some cases, to potential disruptions resulting from problems experienced by facility operators or disruptions as a result of geopolitical tensions and conflicts happening in the area. Some of our systems are not fully redundant, and disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. The occurrence of a natural disaster or pandemic, closure of a facility, or other unanticipated problems affecting our data centers could result in lengthy interruptions in our service. In addition, our products and services are highly technical and complex and have contained in the past, and may contain in the future, errors or vulnerabilities, which could result in interruptions in or failure of our services or systems. Any of these incidents could impede or prevent us from effectively offering products and providing services, which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.

Current wording

The availability of our products and services and fulfillment of our customer contracts depend on the continuing operation of our information technology and communications systems. Our systems are vulnerable to damage, interference, or interruption from modifications or upgrades, terrorist attacks, state-sponsored attacks, natural disasters or pandemics, geopolitical tensions or armed conflicts, export controls and sanctions, tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers, the effects of climate change, power and transmission availability challenges, utility outages, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, software bugs, cyber attacks, supply-chain attacks, computer denial of service attacks, phishing schemes, or other attempts to harm or access our systems. Some of our data centers are located in areas with a high risk of major earthquakes or other natural disasters. Our data centers are also subject to break-ins, sabotage, and intentional acts of vandalism, and, in some cases, to potential disruptions resulting from problems experienced by facility operators or disruptions as a result of geopolitical tensions and conflicts happening in the area. Some of our systems are not fully redundant, and disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. The occurrence of a natural disaster or pandemic, closure of a facility, or other unanticipated problems affecting our data centers could result in lengthy interruptions in our service. In addition, our products and services are highly technical and complex and have contained in the past, and may contain in the future, errors or vulnerabilities, which could result in interruptions in or failure of our services or systems. Any of these incidents could impede or prevent us from effectively offering products and providing services, which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.

Previous wording

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:

Current wording

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:

Previous wording

•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.;

Current wording

•restrictions on foreign ownership and investments, and stringent foreign exchange controls that might prevent us from repatriating cash earned in countries outside the US;

Previous wording

•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;

Current wording

•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;

Previous wording

•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

Current wording

•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

Previous wording

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 wording

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.

Previous wording

The fair value of our debt and equity investments may in the future be, and certain investments have been in the past, negatively affected by liquidity, credit deterioration or losses, performance and financial results of the underlying entities, foreign exchange rates, changes in interest rates, the effect of new or changing regulations, the stock market in general, or other factors.

Current wording

The fair value of our debt and equity investments may in the future be, and certain investments have been in the past, negatively affected by liquidity, credit deterioration or losses, performance and financial results of the underlying entities, foreign exchange rates, changes in interest rates, the effect of new or changing regulations, the stock market in general, or other factors. As a result of these factors, the value of our investments could significantly decline, which could harm our financial condition and operating results.

Previous wording

We measure certain of our non-marketable equity and debt securities, certain other instruments including stock-based compensation awards settled in the stock of Other Bet companies, and certain assets and liabilities acquired in a business combination, at fair value on a nonrecurring basis, which is inherently subjective and requires management judgment and estimation. All gains and losses on non-marketable equity securities are recognized in OI&E, which increases the volatility of our OI&E. The unrealized gains and losses or impairments we record from fair value remeasurements in any particular period may differ significantly from the gains and losses we ultimately realize on such investments.

Current wording

We measure certain of our non-marketable equity and debt securities, and certain other instruments including stock-based compensation (SBC) awards of Other Bet companies, at fair value on a nonrecurring basis, which is inherently subjective and requires management judgment and estimation. Gains and losses on non-marketable equity securities are recognized in other income (expense), net (OI&E), which increases the volatility of our OI&E. The unrealized gains and losses or impairments we record from fair value remeasurements in any particular period may differ significantly from the gains and losses we ultimately realize on such investments. Changes in fair value on SBC awards are recognized primarily through operating expenses.

Previous wording

Our evolving AI-related efforts may give rise to risks related to harmful content, inaccuracies, discrimination, intellectual property infringement or misappropriation, violation of rights of publicity, defamation, data privacy, cybersecurity, and other issues. As a result of these and other challenges associated with innovative technologies, our implementation of AI systems could subject us to competitive harm, regulatory action, legal liability (including under new and proposed legislation and regulations), new applications of existing data protection, privacy, intellectual property, and other laws, and brand or reputational harm.

Current wording

Our evolving AI-enabled products and services may give rise to risks related to harmful content, inaccuracies, discrimination, intellectual property infringement or misappropriation, violation of rights of publicity, defamation, data privacy, cybersecurity, minor protection, and other issues. As a result of these and other challenges associated with innovative technologies, our implementation of AI systems could subject us to competitive harm, regulatory action, legal liability (including under new and proposed legislation and regulations), new applications of existing data protection, privacy, intellectual property, and other laws, and brand or reputational harm.

Previous wording

Some uses of AI will present ethical issues and may have broad effects on society. In order to implement AI responsibly and minimize unintended harmful effects, we have already devoted and will continue to invest significant resources to develop, test, and maintain our products and services, but we may not be able to identify or resolve all AI-related issues, deficiencies, and/or failures before they arise. Unintended consequences, uses, or customization of our AI tools and systems may negatively affect human rights, privacy, employment, or other social concerns, which may result in claims, lawsuits, brand or reputational harm, and increased regulatory scrutiny, any of which could harm our business, financial condition, and operating results.

Current wording

Some uses of AI will present ethical issues and may have broad effects on society. In order to implement AI responsibly and minimize unintended harmful effects, we have already devoted and will continue to invest significant resources to develop, test, and maintain our products and services, but we may not be able to identify or resolve all AI-related issues, deficiencies, and failures before they arise. Unintended consequences, uses, or customization of our AI tools and systems may negatively affect human rights, privacy, employment, or other social concerns, which may result in claims, lawsuits, brand or reputational harm, and increased regulatory scrutiny, any of which could harm our business, financial condition, and operating results.

Previous wording

People access our products and services through a growing variety of devices such as desktop computers, phones, laptops and tablets, video game consoles, voice-activated speakers, wearables (including virtual reality and augmented reality devices), automobiles, and television-streaming devices. Our products and services may be less popular on some interfaces. Each manufacturer or distributor may establish unique technical standards for its devices, and our products and services may not be available or may only be available with limited functionality for our users or our advertisers on these devices as a result. Some manufacturers may also elect not to include our products on their devices.

Current wording

While the modalities used to access information is evolving, people access our products and services through a growing variety of devices such as phones, laptops and tablets, video game consoles, voice-activated speakers, wearables (including virtual reality and augmented reality devices), automobiles, and television-streaming devices. Our products and services may be less popular on some interfaces. Each manufacturer or distributor may establish unique technical standards for its devices, and our products and services may not be available or may only be available with limited functionality for our users or our advertisers on these devices as a result. Some manufacturers may also elect not to include our products on their devices.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

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.

Current wording

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.