Something is moving at Google, and it could closely concern anyone who wants to open a new Gmail account. As reported by Android Authoritya well-known online information site dedicated to the Google universe, the Mountain View technology giant is reportedly testing a reduction in free storage space: from the current 15 GB it would drop to just 5 GB for new members. Google confirmed the news adding that for the moment it is a test limited to some geographical areas. Those who already have a Google account are not affected by the news.
Just to be clear, when we talk about Google storage space, we mean the shared container in which Gmail emails and attachments end up, but also files on Drive, images and videos on Google Photos, etc. All together, in a single digital space in the “Big G” cloud. Reducing it from 15 to 5 GB would mean filling it three times faster and arriving sooner at the moment when you have to choose: delete something or dip into your wallet to have more storage available.
Why is Google adopting this new policy on free storage granted to new accounts? Officially the company states:
We are testing a new storage policy for new accounts created in certain regions, which will help us continue to provide a high-quality storage service to our users, while encouraging them to improve their account security and data recovery.
Second Android Authoritybehind Google’s move could lie the desire to discourage the massive creation of fake accounts (so-called multi-account abuse) and offer a more secure recovery system in the event of a forgotten password. The portal in question, without mincing words, explained:
(Google) may be testing ways to discourage users from creating multiple Gmail accounts in order to access free cloud storage. However, if you already have a Gmail account with 15GB of free storage, this change shouldn’t affect you.
There are those who read in this move also a push, not too veiled, towards Google One’s paid plans. The service starts from around 1.99 euros per month for 100 GB.
For now the test seems to be concentrated mainly in some African countries. The United States and other main markets are not yet affected by the news. Google is evidently observing how contexts with different digital habits react, before deciding whether or not to expand the experimentation.
It’s worth remembering that, when Gmail was born way back in 2004, it offered 1 GB of space (more than enough for the time anyway). In 2005 it rose to 2 GB, and the growth continued until 2013, when Google unified storage management between Gmail, Drive and Photos bringing it to a shared 15 GB. A path of continuous expansion which now, for the first time, could reverse course.
