an information providing apparatus includes following components . a storing unit stores marker image identification information , an image feature of a marker placed area , related information , and disclosure limitation information indicating whether the related information is to be disclosed to specific users in an image information memory . a user information memory stores user identification information identifying a user and privilege information indicating a privilege of the user . an obtaining unit obtains , from an information terminal , user identification information and a target image . a search unit searches the image information memory for marker image identification information of a marker image having an image feature similar to that included in the target image . a providing unit provides , if the corresponding disclosure limitation information indicates limited disclosure and the corresponding privilege information indicates that access to the retrieved related information is permitted , the corresponding related information to the information terminal .