Google announced a new storage policy. This says, going forward, if you don't check in on your Google Drive files every now and then, it may delete them. Google frames this change as a way to tidy up abandoned digital detritus, perhaps leftover from long-forgotten accounts. Which, maybe, sure. Or, alternatively, it may be that a Google user simply stored some valuable files away for a while, as one might with physical documents in a fire-proof safe, and simply hasn't peeked at them in a few years.

Google at present has no plans to just start deleting your stuff willy-nilly. However, it's letting you know that come June 1, 2021, the clock is ticking.

"The simplest way to keep your data active is to periodically visit Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive (and/or collaborative content creation apps like Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, Jamboard, and Sites) on the web or through an official Google app," explains the support page. "Make sure you're signed in and connected to the internet."

But don't stress too hard. Google claims it will attempt to warn users "using email and notifications" before throwing their documents in the trash. It will do so, the Google support page explains, "at least three months" before the two-year mark.

Interestingly, the ability to delete the contents of users' accounts after a predetermined amount of time is actually a Google feature. It's called ‘Inactive Account Manager’, and it lets users instruct Google to delete their data after a set period of time.

Now, with the recent update, Google has made it clear that it's no longer interested in being your forever storage locker. So make sure to check in on your files every now and then going forward.

- Thank you for doing the right thing, we respect your diligence  -