Google API stealing your money!

[fisicx]

If you use the Google Maps API check your credit card.

Despite following the instructions issued by Google and setting spending limits some users have discovered miscreants are using their credentials for AI purposes and Google has automatically upped the spending limits resulting in demands for thousands of dollars.

Google users fight for refunds as unauthorized API usage bills soar

'What the hell is going on? It's just draining my money'

www.theregister.com

 

[BenJeffery]

If you use the Google Maps API check your credit card.

Despite following the instructions issued by Google and setting spending limits some users have discovered miscreants are using their credentials for AI purposes and Google has automatically upped the spending limits resulting in demands for thousands of dollars.

Google users fight for refunds as unauthorized API usage bills soar

'What the hell is going on? It's just draining my money'

www.theregister.com

You need to limit the API key to only work on your website, which is part of the settings in credentials. You can also set daily quotas.

 

[fisicx]

You need to limit the API key to only work on your website, which is part of the settings in credentials. You can also set daily quotas.

If you read the article Google increased your daily limit without authorisation. Google also allowed the Maps API key to be used for AI image and video creation overriding the website restriction.

I feel the hand of AI automation behind the policy change. It wasn’t a human decision.

 

[YasmeenLondon]

It's very easy to criticise users and say they should store and manage API keys more securely (they should) but what on earth do you mean by:

Yet according to Google those caps can be automatically upgraded to $100,000 – without user input – if the user has spent a total of $1,000 throughout the life of the account, and the account is more than a month old.

What's the point of a limit if it's automatically upgraded without user input!

Reminds me of the time when I booked an appointment, arrived and realised they double booked me, and then the receptionist proceeded to explain to me that booking an appointment and receiving confirmation is not a guarantee of service, it's a guarantee that they will "try" and provide a service lol

 

[fisicx]

having a public key when using the maps API isn’t a problem if Google applied their own rules: spending limit and only applicable to maps on the named website. The problem here is Google allowed the key to be used with Gemini bypassing the website limitation.

 

[antropy]

It's very easy to criticise users

This happens far too much these days. Something happens that's blatantly totally unfair and everyone in the facebook comments says "ah well you should have just ... {insert some unreasonable expectation here}"

I really don't like the way this is all going, no human to talk to, no common sense, no leniency, no decency, no sense of fair play.

Paul.