Gmail will soon only have 5GB of free storage left if you don't do this.

Google is reportedly testing reducing free Gmail storage to 5GB for new accounts, unless users provide a personal phone number.

Google may be quietly changing one of Gmail users' most familiar "privileges" by testing a drastic reduction in free storage from 15GB to just 5GB for some new accounts.

According to leaked information from Android Authority, users who want to unlock the 10GB of reduced storage will be required to link their personal phone number to their Google account, instead of just their email and password as before.

Notably, the new policy currently only applies to certain newly created Gmail accounts in specific regions, while existing accounts, even those without updated phone numbers, will continue to retain their familiar 15GB of storage.

The point of contention within the tech community lies in the fact that Google did not officially announce this change on its support page or through its communication channels, but only confirmed it after users reported it on social media forums.

According to Google, requiring a phone number to be linked is intended to enhance security, support personal data recovery, and limit spam or the creation of numerous secondary Gmail accounts to "farm" free Google Drive storage.

However, many experts believe this move reflects a trend where technology platforms are increasingly restricting free resources and linking them to more rigorous user identity verification than before.

Amidst soaring operating costs for AI, cloud storage, and data infrastructure, free services once considered standard may gradually be phased out or transformed into privileges with personal verification requirements.

While Google hasn't confirmed whether this policy will be rolled out globally or apply to existing accounts in the future, the new experiment shows that the internet is entering a phase where a "trusted digital identity" may become a requirement to continue enjoying all free services.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/gmail-sap-chi-con-5gb-mien-phi-neu-khong-lam-dieu-nay-post2149100699.html