Google Photos Hits 4 Trillion Photos, Faces Backlash Over Storage Changes
Google Photos, launched in 2015 with a promise of 'unlimited' free storage for high-quality photos and videos, has reached a significant milestone. It now hosts four trillion photos. However, the service is set to undergo a major change, facing criticism from users and competitors alike.
As of June 2021, Google Photos began limiting free storage to 15 GB per Google Account. This change, announced on November 11, 2020, affects photos and videos uploaded after the set date. The tech giant is now adding 4.3 million gigabytes of data every day across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.
Don MacAskill, CEO of Flickr and SmugMug, slammed Google's decision, calling it a 'monopoly' strategy. Other services, like Flickr, have also had to reduce their free storage offerings over time. Users will now have to pay for additional storage beyond the 15 GB limit.
Google Photos, with its vast collection of 28 billion photos and videos uploaded each week, is changing its free storage policy. While it continues to host a staggering four trillion photos, users must now be mindful of their storage usage, with potential costs for exceeding the 15 GB limit.
