# ShieldGemma-2-4B ![Organization](https://img.shields.io/badge/Org-Google-555) ![Pricing](https://img.shields.io/badge/Price-Open%20Weights-2da44e) ![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-Gemma%20Terms-d29922) ![Modality](https://img.shields.io/badge/Modality-Multimodal-8957e5) > **Quick answer:** ShieldGemma 2 (4B) is Google's 4B multimodal safety classifier built on Gemma 3, focused primarily on image content moderation (unsafe image categories like dangerous content, sexually explicit material, and violence). It's Google's successor to the text-only ShieldGemma-9B, adding native vision support in a smaller footprint. ## At a Glance **Where it leads:** Not a top scorer in Shieldstral's published comparison set (limited public score overlap). **Where it lags:** No text-only prompt/response classification scores reported in Mistral's comparison — ShieldGemma 2 focuses on image classification specifically. **Best for:** Teams needing a lightweight, Gemma-family image safety classifier alongside a separate text moderation stack. ## What ShieldGemma-2-4B Is ShieldGemma 2 is built on Gemma 3's 4B vision-language model, specialized for classifying images as safe or unsafe across a defined harm taxonomy. It represents Google's shift toward native multimodal safety classification, succeeding the text-only ShieldGemma-9B. ## Specifications | Field | Value | |---|---| | Organization | Google | | Parameters | 4B | | Base model | Gemma 3 | | License | Gemma Terms of Use | | Modality | Multimodal (primarily image) | ## Pricing Open weights, free to download under Gemma's Terms of Use. ## Public Benchmark Scores *Scores from Mistral AI's Shieldstral model card, shown for context. Not Benchgen measurements.* | Benchmark | Score | |---|---| | [VLGuard](/benchmarks/independent-research/vlguard) | 61.3% | | [UnsafeBench](/benchmarks/independent-research/unsafebench) | 54.9% | | [LlavaGuard](/benchmarks/tu-darmstadt-hessian-ai/llavaguard) | 56.2% | ## Related Models & Benchmarks - [ShieldGemma-9B](/models/google/shieldgemma-9b) · [Shieldstral 1.0](/models/mistral-ai/shieldstral-1-0) - [VLGuard](/benchmarks/independent-research/vlguard) · [UnsafeBench](/benchmarks/independent-research/unsafebench) · [LlavaGuard](/benchmarks/tu-darmstadt-hessian-ai/llavaguard) ## Frequently Asked Questions

What is ShieldGemma 2 (4B)?

Google's 4B multimodal safety classifier built on Gemma 3, focused on image content moderation.

Is it multimodal?

Yes, it natively classifies images; it is Google's vision-focused successor to the text-only ShieldGemma-9B.

Is it open source?

Yes, released under Google's Gemma Terms of Use.

--- *Last updated 2026-08-12.*

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