Google Drive has some excellent sharing features, but sometimes a rotten egg will use those handy tools for evil. Fortunately, Google has just added some new features that will let you block anyone trying to abuse Drive’s sharing tools.
The New User Management Tools in Google Drive
The internet giant announced the new feature on the Google Cloud blog. It’s straightforward to share files on Google Drive, which is why it’s so popular amongst people who want to work together. But, unfortunately, it means someone who wants to harass others with files also has an easy job pestering people.
For instance, someone who knows your email can use it to share documents full of spam or malicious content with you. Or someone can vandalize any documents you’ve shared with them previously.
To counteract this, Google is now adding a blocking feature into Drive. So if someone isn’t constructively using the sharing tools, you can block their Google account to prevent them from harassing you in the future.
When you block someone, Google will stop them from doing the following:
Block another user from sharing any content with you in the future. This can be a useful control if, for example, another user has a history of sending spam or abusive content.
Remove all existing files and folders shared by another user. This is an easy way to get rid of all spam or abusive content shared from a specific user at one time.
Remove another person’s access to your content, even if you’ve previously shared it with them.
As such, this is the ultimate “nuclear option” when it comes to getting rid of someone from Google Drive. With just one click, they cannot touch anything of yours, even things you’ve previously shared with them.
Sometimes, Sharing Isn’t Caring
It’s straightforward to share files and documents in Google Drive… and in some cases, it’s a little too straightforward. Now, if someone is harassing you by sharing files or editing the ones you’ve given them, you can block them out of everything with just a single click.
Because it’s so easy to share files with others, it’s easy to forget who you’ve shared documents with and what level of access they have. Fortunately, Google Drive makes it easy to see who has access to what, so you can kick out anyone that has turned sour since you shared things with them.
