Google Drive update has a key focus and that is to help users block spammers, trolls, and individuals sharing abusive content. The block option can help users "preserve the safety" of their own Google Drive.
Google Drive User Access
According to Gizmodo, in a Google Workspace update that was just published, the company openly acknowledged that although Google Drive wants to help people share, store, and collaborate, the product's sharing features can still be abused by bad actors. This is exactly why Google has ultimately decided to find a way for individuals to block other users despite previously giving them user access to the content.
Google announced in a blog post that user blocking will help individuals not only preserve their Drive's sharing helpfulness, it will also preserve the safety of those using Drive. In addition to this, Google noted that blocking a user on Drive will then also block them from interacting with the user on other apps and services.
Google Drive Safety
This brand new block feature will let users block others from sharing any sort of content with them in the future. Google notes that this can be helpful if another user actually "has a history" of sending out spam or even abusive content. There have been discussions as to which is best, the USB, Google Drive, or Dropbox but in the end, it still highly depends on the user.
It will also allow individuals to remove all of the existing files and folders in their own Google Drive which is shared by the offender allowing them to get rid of the said spam and abusive content. The feature will also revoke a person's access to the users' content should they be blocked.
Google Drive Block User
In order to block someone, all users have to do is to go on Drive, right click a file, select the "Block (user) from the options menu, then Block in the window. For those that decide to change their minds, they can also unblock users as well. Google has been rolling out security updates to help protect the privacy and safety of their users.
9to5Google notes that spam on Google Drive for quite a while now. This is due to individuals sharing files with just anyone as long as they actually have an email address. Sharing files technically does not require the other person's given permission.
'Remove' Button Not Enough?
Although Google Drive has a "remove" button, this won't delete shared files but simply hide them from view. This means they can still show up in search results as well as other areas. Although it might not really seem like a large difference at first, it can actually be very uncomfortable or potentially dangerous.
A user complained that they still had access to a particular folder that was owned by their abusive ex-boyfriend. The user reported that they were feeling a "lack of control" when it came to not being able to remove themselves from the content, or from the person.
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Written by Urian B.
