Overview
Google Maps embeds loaded via iframe or JavaScript API on third-party websites. The embed transmits the visitor's IP address and browser information to Google's infrastructure on page load. While Maps embeds do not typically set tracking cookies, the IP transmission constitutes personal data processing under GDPR.
Detection capabilities
- Signature count
- 3
- Detection methods
- network
- Property types
- hostnamepathname
Performance impact
Performance Impact
- Requests per page
- 5
Common mistakes
- 1Loading Google Maps embed on pages where a static map image would suffice, unnecessarily transmitting user IP and browser data to Google
- 2Not using a facade pattern (static map screenshot with a click-to-load interaction) to defer the Maps embed until the user actively needs it
- 3Assuming Google Maps embeds are strictly necessary for contact pages when the address could be displayed as text with a link to Google Maps
- 4Not including Google Maps in the cookie declaration and privacy policy because the embed is loaded via iframe
- 5Loading the full Maps JavaScript API when a simple embed iframe would reduce the data collection surface
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