Cloud storage has revolutionized the way we share content and make backup copies. Google Drive is one of the most used platforms in the world thanks to offering 15 GB free to everyone who creates a Google account, offering options to share quickly and safely. However, there are those who take advantage of this gratuity for illicit purposes, and that is why Google has now become more serious.
Currently, Google Drive has limits on the number of users who can download a file. This is done to prevent free storage being used to compete with pirted content downloaded by thousands of people. Currently, when a file is shared and downloaded many times or violates Google’s terms , the company restricts it.
Google will notify us when a file has been blocked
Among those restrictions, we find that the file can no longer be shared , and it is not accessible to the public either; even if they have the download link. When that happens, an icon appears next to the file to tell us that it can no longer be shared, but there is no option to claim it and we are not informed of the reason.
Now, the owner of that file will receive an email about the action that Google has taken, and will have the option to request a review if they do not agree with the decision made. This ensures that Google account owners are fully informed of the status of their content, while ensuring that users are protected from abusive content. The email received will look like the following:
By having put in place a new appeal mechanism in the case of disagreeing with the decision, it is possible that Google now becomes more serious when it comes to blocking pirted content shared through Google Drive . The platform also has a detection system that detects whether content is protected under copyright, and therefore blocks its upload or the possibility of sharing it. Therefore, if they detect that too much protected content is being shared, they may block accounts that may be linked to pira-cy.
Be careful when sharing files now
The problem with this system is that we may even block files that we do not know violate Google’s standards, or that probably do not violate them. Therefore, if you want to share a file with many people, it is best to use a free online storage system, such as WeTransfer or SwissTransfer .
The feature will roll out gradually for Google Drive users, starting on December 14 and running through December 29 .
