Everything google does is to generate data points. Although the rest of the world raises prices to cover costs, increase profits, etc., Google plays with APIs,

Everything google does is to generate data points. Although the rest of the world raises prices to cover costs, increase profits, etc., Google plays with APIs, pricing, availability as a way to generate data to model the behavior of its customers. Simply raising prices to make more money is besides the point. Although the price hike may have been instigated by mundane factors, the way they do it is to understand who is using their product. They could have sneakily inched their way up. Like the frog in the water on the stove, it wont know its cooked until it's too late. Also Google could have (OMG) added ads to map tiles. Or they could have a price scale that changes as you engage more of their services (move your website to GCloud, get more map views for free). By making this most unlikely move ( a move that would alienate customers in most other markets) Google is implementing a limit theorem. It is trying to segregate its customers' behavior into different groups- groups that the customers themselves do not know exist or which they belong in. This kind of data is what they will use to inform their future investment.