Understanding Your Google Drive Labels and Data Retention
To ensure Brown's Google Workspace remains manageable and secure, OIT removes stale Google Drive data owned by inactive members of the Brown community. Specific labels may appear on your shared files or in Shared Drives to help you identify what actions are needed to maintain access to this data before it is removed.
This document explains these labels and the proactive steps you can take.
Context: This label appears on individual files or folders that are "owned" by an inactive Google account and shared with you. This data has been identified for removal as part of OIT's data lifecycle management.
- Required Action: To keep continued access, you must move the data to a Google Shared Drive.
- Alternative Action (Make a Copy): If you do not wish to use a Shared Drive, you may also choose to make a copy of the file. This creates a new version of the file in your "My Drive" that you own personally, effectively breaking the link to the inactive account.
- Deadline: OIT will begin deleting this data on July 7, 2026. Following this date, automated processes will label inactive files for at least two months before they are removed.
Context: This label is applied specifically to Shared Drives. Brown policy requires every Shared Drive to have at least one active @brown.edu account assigned as a Manager. This label indicates the Shared Drive currently has no internal managers assigned. Escalate tickets to the IT Service Center if you need assistance in assigning a new Manager.
- Required Action: To prevent the Shared Drive and its contents from being deleted, you must add a valid, active @brown.edu account as a Manager to the drive.
- Deadline: If a manager is not added, the Shared Drive will be deleted starting July 7, 2026. Any new Drives that lose their managers after this date will be labeled for at least two months before data removal.
Context: This indicates the Shared Drive containing the file is no longer being actively managed, or the previous owners have left the university.
- Required Action: If you still need access to these files, you must submit a support ticket to the IT Service Center immediately so the drive's status can be reviewed.
- Deadline: Without intervention via a support ticket, the Shared Drive and its files will be deleted starting July 7, 2026. After this date, unmanaged drives will be labeled for at least two months before deletion occurs.
Need Help? For detailed instructions on searching for and migrating labeled files, please refer to the OIT Migration Guide.