Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contingencies	Contingencies Legal Matters Antitrust Investigations On November 30, 2010, the European Commission's (EC) Directorate General for Competition opened an investigation into various antitrust-related complaints against us. On April 15, 2015, the EC issued a Statement of Objections (SO) regarding the display and ranking of shopping search results, to which we responded on August 27, 2015. On April 20, 2016, the EC issued an SO regarding certain Android distribution practices. On July 14, 2016, the EC issued a Supplementary SO regarding shopping search results and an SO regarding the syndication of AdSense for Search. We have responded to the SOs and Supplementary SO and continue to respond to the EC's informational requests. We remain committed to working with the EC to resolve these matters. The Comision Nacional de Defensa de la Competencia in Argentina, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Brazil's Council for Economic Defense (CADE), the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of the Russian Federation, and the Korean Fair Trade Commission have also opened investigations into certain of our business practices. In November 2016, we responded to the CCI Director General's report with interim findings of competition law infringements regarding search and ads. In April 2017, Google reached a settlement agreement that resolved FAS’s concerns regarding the distribution practice of Google’s mobile applications on Android smartphones. Patent and Intellectual Property Claims We have had patent, copyright, and trademark infringement lawsuits filed against us claiming that certain of our products, services, and technologies infringe the intellectual property rights of others. Adverse results in these lawsuits may include awards of substantial monetary damages, costly royalty or licensing agreements, or orders preventing us from offering certain features, functionalities, products, or services, and may also cause us to change our business practices, and require development of non-infringing products or technologies, which could result in a loss of revenues for us and otherwise harm our business. In addition, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has increasingly become an important forum to litigate intellectual property disputes because an ultimate loss for a company or its suppliers in an ITC action could result in a prohibition on importing infringing products into the U.S. Because the U.S. is an important market, a prohibition on importation could have an adverse effect on us, including preventing us from importing many important products into the U.S. or necessitating workarounds that may limit certain features of our products. Furthermore, many of our agreements with our customers and partners require us to indemnify them for certain intellectual property infringement claims against them, which would increase our costs as a result of defending such claims, and may require that we pay significant damages if there were an adverse ruling in any such claims. Our customers and partners may discontinue the use of our products, services, and technologies, as a result of injunctions or otherwise, which could result in loss of revenues and adversely impact our business. Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle) brought a copyright lawsuit against Google in the Northern District of California, alleging that Google's Android infringes Oracle's copyrights related to certain Java application programming interfaces. After trial, final judgment was entered by the district court in favor of Google on June 8, 2016, and the court decided post-trial motions in favor of Google. Oracle has appealed. We believe this lawsuit is without merit and are defending ourselves vigorously. Given the nature of this case, we are unable to estimate the reasonably possible loss or range of loss, if any, arising from this matter. Other We are also regularly subject to claims, suits, regulatory and government investigations, and other proceedings involving competition (such as the pending EC investigations described above), intellectual property, privacy, tax, labor and employment, commercial disputes, content generated by our users, goods and services offered by advertisers or publishers using our platforms, personal injury, consumer protection, and other matters. Such claims, suits, regulatory and government investigations, and other proceedings could result in fines, civil or criminal penalties, or other adverse consequences. Certain of our outstanding legal matters include speculative claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts of damages. We record a liability when we believe that it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If we determine that a loss is reasonably possible and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the reasonably possible loss. We evaluate, on a monthly basis, developments in our legal matters that could affect the amount of liability that has been previously accrued, and the matters and related reasonably possible losses disclosed, and make adjustments as appropriate. Significant judgment is required to determine both likelihood of there being and the estimated amount of a loss related to such matters. With respect to our outstanding legal matters, based on our current knowledge, we believe that the amount or range of reasonably possible loss will not, either individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, the outcome of such legal matters is inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties. We expense legal fees in the period in which they are incurred. Indirect Taxes and Other Non-Income Taxes We are under audit by various domestic and foreign tax authorities with regards to indirect tax and other non-income tax matters. The subject matter of indirect tax and other non-income tax audits primarily arises from disputes on the tax treatment and tax rate applied to the sale of our products and services in these jurisdictions and the tax treatment of certain employee benefits. We accrue indirect taxes and other non-income taxes that may result from examinations by, or any negotiated agreements with, these tax authorities when a loss is probable and reasonably estimable. If we determine that a loss is reasonably possible and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the reasonably possible loss. We believe these matters are without merit and we are defending ourselves vigorously. Due to the inherent complexity and uncertainty of these matters and judicial process in certain jurisdictions, the final outcome may be materially different from our expectations. For information regarding income tax contingencies, see Note 14.

Contingencies

Legal Matters

Antitrust Investigations

On November 30, 2010, the European Commission's (EC) Directorate General for Competition opened an investigation into various antitrust-related complaints against us. On April 15, 2015, the EC issued a Statement of Objections (SO) regarding the display and ranking of shopping search results, to which we responded on August 27, 2015. On April 20, 2016, the EC issued an SO regarding certain Android distribution practices. On July 14, 2016, the EC issued a Supplementary SO regarding shopping search results and an SO regarding the syndication of AdSense for Search. We have responded to the SOs and Supplementary SO and continue to respond to the EC's informational requests. We remain committed to working with the EC to resolve these matters.

The Comision Nacional de Defensa de la Competencia in Argentina, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Brazil's Council for Economic Defense (CADE), the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of the Russian Federation, and the Korean Fair Trade Commission have also opened investigations into certain of our business practices. In November 2016, we responded to the CCI Director General's report with interim findings of competition law infringements regarding search and ads. In April 2017, Google reached a settlement agreement that resolved FAS’s concerns regarding the distribution practice of Google’s mobile applications on Android smartphones.

Patent and Intellectual Property Claims

We have had patent, copyright, and trademark infringement lawsuits filed against us claiming that certain of our products, services, and technologies infringe the intellectual property rights of others. Adverse results in these lawsuits may include awards of substantial monetary damages, costly royalty or licensing agreements, or orders preventing us from offering certain features, functionalities, products, or services, and may also cause us to change our business practices, and require development of non-infringing products or technologies, which could result in a loss of revenues for us and otherwise harm our business. In addition, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has increasingly become an important forum to litigate intellectual property disputes because an ultimate loss for a company or its suppliers in an ITC action could result in a prohibition on importing infringing products into the U.S. Because the U.S. is an important market, a prohibition on importation could have an adverse effect on us, including preventing us from importing many important products into the U.S. or necessitating workarounds that may limit certain features of our products.

Furthermore, many of our agreements with our customers and partners require us to indemnify them for certain intellectual property infringement claims against them, which would increase our costs as a result of defending such claims, and may require that we pay significant damages if there were an adverse ruling in any such claims. Our customers and partners may discontinue the use of our products, services, and technologies, as a result of injunctions or otherwise, which could result in loss of revenues and adversely impact our business.

Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle) brought a copyright lawsuit against Google in the Northern District of California, alleging that Google's Android infringes Oracle's copyrights related to certain Java application programming interfaces. After trial, final judgment was entered by the district court in favor of Google on June 8, 2016, and the court decided post-trial motions in favor of Google. Oracle has appealed. We believe this lawsuit is without merit and are defending ourselves vigorously. Given the nature of this case, we are unable to estimate the reasonably possible loss or range of loss, if any, arising from this matter.

Other

We are also regularly subject to claims, suits, regulatory and government investigations, and other proceedings involving competition (such as the pending EC investigations described above), intellectual property, privacy, tax, labor and employment, commercial disputes, content generated by our users, goods and services offered by advertisers or publishers using our platforms, personal injury, consumer protection, and other matters. Such claims, suits, regulatory and government investigations, and other proceedings could result in fines, civil or criminal penalties, or other adverse consequences.

Certain of our outstanding legal matters include speculative claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts of damages. We record a liability when we believe that it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If we determine that a loss is reasonably possible and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the reasonably possible loss. We evaluate, on a monthly basis, developments in our legal matters that could affect the amount of liability that has been previously accrued, and the matters and related reasonably possible losses disclosed, and make adjustments as appropriate. Significant judgment is required to determine both likelihood of there being and the estimated amount of a loss related to such matters.

With respect to our outstanding legal matters, based on our current knowledge, we believe that the amount or range of reasonably possible loss will not, either individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, the outcome of such legal matters is inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties.

We expense legal fees in the period in which they are incurred.

Indirect Taxes and Other Non-Income Taxes

We are under audit by various domestic and foreign tax authorities with regards to indirect tax and other non-income tax matters. The subject matter of indirect tax and other non-income tax audits primarily arises from disputes on the tax treatment and tax rate applied to the sale of our products and services in these jurisdictions and the tax treatment of certain employee benefits. We accrue indirect taxes and other non-income taxes that may result from examinations by, or any negotiated agreements with, these tax authorities when a loss is probable and reasonably estimable. If we determine that a loss is reasonably possible and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, we disclose the reasonably possible loss. We believe these matters are without merit and we are defending ourselves vigorously. Due to the inherent complexity and uncertainty of these matters and judicial process in certain jurisdictions, the final outcome may be materially different from our expectations.

For information regarding income tax contingencies, see Note 14.