We deliver this news with a pinch of salt! Most of the contents of this news item will likely dampen your mood and also lighten your wallet by a paltry sum. Gone are the days when Google’s revered Gmail, Drive and Photos services were free of charge.
For all the above three Google services, users will now have to pay a monthly subscription fee beyond the capped data limits. Although the exact cap and billing details for each individual service are still coming in, one thing is for sure that high volume users should brace themselves for paying against using Google’s cloud storage.
@gmail if “Out of storage space and will soon be unable to send or receive emails until you free up space” is displayed could you please define “soon”? My storage was full for less than 24hours but I am afraid I may have not received a very important mail about an interview!
— Damian (@StuckOnTheMoon) September 29, 2019
@gmail hello! I am not able to receive new mails.. Please check the issue, tried all the solutions given in help and feedback..
— Alfiya (@Alfiyamukarram) September 20, 2019
The way I abuse google drive 15GB free cloud storage, I now have 7 gmail email address
— Excalibur (@Midas_Q) October 10, 2019
This development is a product of tech dependency that has gradually but securely gripped us over the past few years. The mere thought of trimming down our data stash sends shivers down our spines. This is due to the following two factors.
Firstly, we simply don’t want to get into the hassle of sifting through years old data and recalling distinctly what’s required and what’s redundant. Resultantly, we end up keeping our entire data as such, based on the presumption that we may need it “someday”.
The second factor is somewhat psychological. Just like most of us feel difficult to give away our old clothes, shoes and other belongings, we also do not want to part with our beloved data. It is rightly said that some memories are priceless. So when it comes to photos, the most storage consuming data, we have zero tolerance.
Google is not a multi billion dollar tech giant for nothing. It is one of the few tech companies that has not only thrived, but also shown consistent growth. Its business managers were quick to pounce on this multi billion dollar revenue stream that is just an arm’s length away from being tapped.
The sad part is that some Google cloud storage users in general and Gmail users in particular are already facing service disruption. They are presented with two alternatives. Either to free up storage by deleting old data or “pay up”.
The exact monetary and user based implications of this move will take time to fully transpire but in the short-term, if you are touching the data caps, brace yourself for either deleting your beloved data or paying up.
