Google is making changes to the way Google Drive shares files Search giant Google has announced a new policy that will restrict access to files that violate its policies and prevent them from being shared in the process

Google announced the change in a blog post, clarifying that restrictions may be placed on files that violate Google's terms of use and abuse program policies While owners will still have full access, the move means that sharing privileges will be revoked

According to Google, when a file is restricted, the owner of the file will receive an email This not only alerts them to the fact that it has happened, but also gives them the opportunity to appeal the decision and request a review

Google also noted that after a policy violation, Google may review the content and take further action The consequences of those actions could include "restricting access to the content, removing the content, or restricting or terminating users' access to Google products"

Google's abuse program policy page details a number of sensitive topics that it does not permit These include, but are not limited to, dangerous and illegal activities, hate speech, malware, sexual expression, and misleading content

In the case of illegal content, Google will likely file a report with the appropriate authorities and have the matter investigated

According to Google, this move is an attempt to curb the spread of this type of content It is not clear how strict Google will be in detecting and restricting infringing files, although it is intended to prevent the Google Drive service from being abused

The search giant confirms that there are "exceptions based on artistic, educational, documentary, and scientific considerations," suggesting that real people make real decisions rather than leaving everything to algorithms Because algorithms will always get things wrong

Everyone can agree that curbing the spread of illegal material on Google Drive, whether it is piracy or something considerably more nefarious like child sexual abuse images, is a good idea However, we need more information on how this new policy will be enforced and what the appeals process will be

In a statement to TechRadar Pro, Google did not specifically answer: "Google Drive is committed to protecting the security and safety of our users and society, while always respecting privacy Gmail has long been a leader in protecting users from phishing and malware attacks Just as Gmail has long protected its users from phishing and malware attacks, implementing similar protections for Google Drive is critical to ensuring that the Drive remains as secure as possible for all users

If anything, this is a reminder that cloud backup is managed by a third party Cloud backup is managed by a third party Besides, the privacy and security of the files you store is always open to question