Google Backtracks on File Limit for Google Drive Users
Google Drive users can now have more than five million files in their accounts once again. Earlier this year, some Google Drive customers were faced with the error message that they had exceeded the limit for the number of files created by their account. This came as a surprise to those paying for the cloud storage service, as there was nothing in the contract that mentioned such a limit. Reports suggest that Google introduced the limit in February as a way of driving away heavy users.
The file limit was enforced regardless of the amount of storage space a user paid for. Even consumers who booked up to 30TB of storage were affected. Deleting files did not help as Google Drive refused to create new files or folders. Google confirmed the limit was deliberate, likely as a cost-saving measure, but it was also a breach of contract as it was not disclosed to users. The company is now exploring alternative approaches to reduce costs while maintaining customer satisfaction, promising to keep users informed about any future changes.
Google maintains a limit of 400,000 files that an account can share with third parties. This limit is publicly documented. With the recent decision to revert the five million file limit, Google aims to regain the trust of users who were affected by the limit. As Google continues to attract corporate users who employ automated storage operations, the company will have to balance cost-savings with customer satisfaction.
