Google has announced that it is adding a new label on its Maps and Search pages that will enable users to identify their businesses as LGBTQ+ owned. This new label is now available to merchants in the US who hold a verified business profile on Google.
This new label will join the list of existing available options that include Black-owned, Latino-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned. It also comes with the capability to report any related harassment. Google already has tools and resources in place for users seeking LGBTQ+ friendly businesses, allowing merchants and retailers to add certain labels to their Google Maps and Search results such as, “LGBTQ friendly,” “Transgender safe space,” and “Gender-neutral restroom.”
“We want to make it easier for others to find LGBTQ+ owned businesses in their own community,” said Mackenzie Thomas, the product and marketing inclusion lead at Google, in a statement. “Starting today, merchants in the U.S. with a verified Business Profile on Google can add an LGBTQ+ owned attribute to their profile, making it easier for customers to find and support them through Search and Maps.”
To add the label, business owners need to go to their profile, click on the option ‘edit profile,’ and select ‘business information.’ From the ‘more’ tab, there will be a list of categories that business owners can choose. Google also has a system in place through which owners can report any abuse or harassment they receive from customers as a result of their label. “You can report negative or abusive reviews that you believe you’ve received as a result of identifying your business as owned by someone of the identity you’ve selected,” the company wrote. “Google will investigate each report and strive to take appropriate action.”
Google has also added that self-identification is optional and is currently available only to merchants with a verified Business Profile that is based in the United States. Customers can then filter for businesses using their identity attributes. Although, Googlmakeske it clear that a label was added by the business itself the company currently does not have a system to verify the self-identifiable labels.
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