Last week, Google LLC made an announcement concerning their G Suite Legacy utility that shocked users. The tech conglomerate announced that G Suite accounts set up before the utility became a paid service would be shut down unless users started paying the per-user monthly fee. Previously, users who had signed up in the utility’s early days had been given legacy status and were exempt from monthly payments. The mass outcry from legacy users has now led Google to reconsider its harsh ultimatum.
Although the matter is now under consideration after Google was apparently shocked by legacy users’ reaction to the news, this doesn’t necessarily mean the decision will change. Google LLC has essentially said it plans to launch a survey into affected G Suite users, but it hasn’t promised an agreeable outcome. In the meantime, Google has attempted to soften the heavy blow by promising a no-cost data transfer option before the shutdown takes effect. The data eligible for this transfer is outlined as ‘non-Google Workspace paid content.’
No complete list of applicable data has been provided yet, so we can only assume that ‘non-Google Workspace paid content’ means everything from apps and games to movies and TV products purchased across the Google Play platform.
A survey entry on an FAQ sheet pertaining to Google Legacy Free Edition may hint at the possibility of a free or low-cost option for users who don’t use Google Workspace for business. This survey is aimed at users whose accounts have 10 seats or less and who are interested in receiving future updates on ‘G Suite Legacy Free Edition special offers.’
Given that Google is offering a free transfer option to legacy users of G Suite, it’s unlikely that the decision to shut free accounts down will be overturned. Instead, Google LLC seems to be investigating a way to fill the gap that the free legacy G Suite utility will undoubtedly leave.
