Reports suggesting that Gmail has ended free storage for Pakistani users have sparked concern online, but Google has not officially announced any country-specific policy change.
According to recent reports, some newly created Google accounts are reportedly receiving only 5GB of free cloud storage instead of the standard 15GB shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos.
Technology publication CNET reported that several users noticed prompts during account creation offering them a chance to “unlock 15GB storage at no cost” after verifying their phone number.
The reported limitation appears to affect only certain newly created accounts, especially those created without phone verification. Existing users do not appear to be impacted at this stage.
Adding to speculation, 9to5Google noted that Google recently updated wording on some support pages, changing the phrase from every account comes with 15GB” to ” offering up to 15GB” of free storage.
Google has not confirmed whether this is a permanent reduction, a temporary experiment or part of wider anti-spam and anti-abuse measures.
The development has gained attention because Gmail’s 15GB free storage offer has remained largely unchanged for more than a decade and has been a key part of Google’s ecosystem.
Industry analysts believe stricter storage policies may be linked to Google’s growing infrastructure demands as the company continues expanding its artificial intelligence and cloud services. At the same time, Google has been actively promoting paid Google One plans that offer additional storage and AI-powered features.
For now, there is no official confirmation that Gmail has specifically ended free storage for users in Pakistan.
On the other hand, Google and SpaceX are currently engaged in talks to discuss the possibility of establishing a space data center in orbit.
Alphabet’s Google announced that it has been in talks with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and other entities concerning future launches for its Project Suncatcher, which is an initiative aimed at creating an orbital data center.
Google is advancing the concept of a space-based data center through Project Suncatcher, a research initiative designed to connect solar-powered satellites that are equipped with its Tensor Processing Units into an orbital AI cloud.
The company plans to conduct an initial prototype launch in collaboration with its partner Planet Labs around the year 2027.
A collaboration with Google would represent the second occasion on which Musk has come back to an AI competitor he has previously criticised, particularly in light of the highly expected and important initial public offering for SpaceX.
Also read: Google introduces its new feature in ‘Google Translate’
