Important policy changes for Google Account storage
Google sent out the following email notice:
"We recently announced new storage policies for Google Accounts using Gmail, Google Drive (including Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Jamboard files) and/or Google Photos that bring us in line with industry practices
Summary of the new policies (effective June 1, 2021):
• If you're inactive for 2 years (24 months) in Gmail, Drive or Photos, we may delete the content in the product(s) in which you're inactive. Google One members who are within their storage quota and in good-standing will not be impacted by this new inactive policy.
• If you exceed your storage limit for 2 years, we may delete your content across Gmail, Drive and Photos.
What this means for you:
• You won't be impacted by these changes unless you've been inactive or over your storage limit for 2 years. As this policy goes into effect June 1, 2021, the earliest it would be enforced is June 1, 2023.
• After June 1, 2021, if you are either inactive or over your storage limit, we will send you email reminders and notifications in advance and prior to deleting any content."
Effectively what this seems to mean is that you must log in to your account and visit each of the affected services at least once every two years, or the content will be deleted (for you at least - Google probably has it archived forever and will likely charge you money to retrieve it). Google says you can set up an emergency contact for your account who will be notified if you don't respond to warnings.
This comes on top of Google's recent ending of unlimited Google Photos storage. Could Google be running into problems with the amount of storage they have online? Or is this just a routine attempt to move toward monetization by gradually introducing new limits and fees now that they have us all hooked?
"We recently announced new storage policies for Google Accounts using Gmail, Google Drive (including Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Jamboard files) and/or Google Photos that bring us in line with industry practices
Summary of the new policies (effective June 1, 2021):
• If you're inactive for 2 years (24 months) in Gmail, Drive or Photos, we may delete the content in the product(s) in which you're inactive. Google One members who are within their storage quota and in good-standing will not be impacted by this new inactive policy.
• If you exceed your storage limit for 2 years, we may delete your content across Gmail, Drive and Photos.
What this means for you:
• You won't be impacted by these changes unless you've been inactive or over your storage limit for 2 years. As this policy goes into effect June 1, 2021, the earliest it would be enforced is June 1, 2023.
• After June 1, 2021, if you are either inactive or over your storage limit, we will send you email reminders and notifications in advance and prior to deleting any content."
Effectively what this seems to mean is that you must log in to your account and visit each of the affected services at least once every two years, or the content will be deleted (for you at least - Google probably has it archived forever and will likely charge you money to retrieve it). Google says you can set up an emergency contact for your account who will be notified if you don't respond to warnings.
This comes on top of Google's recent ending of unlimited Google Photos storage. Could Google be running into problems with the amount of storage they have online? Or is this just a routine attempt to move toward monetization by gradually introducing new limits and fees now that they have us all hooked?
