Google has announced that on Monday, July 26, 2021, it will start sending an email to all Google Drive (and YouTube) users who will be affected by an upcoming security change on September 13, 2021. An example of the email supplied by Google has been posted to Cornell Verified Communications.

The message states that on September 13, old links to certain files that were put in Drive before 2017, will not work for anyone who has not already accessed the file through the link. The link will continue to work for anyone who has previously used it to get to the file.

Recipients will be able to click a link in the Google email to see which of their files are affected so they can circulate the new link or replace the old one when used in web pages or API calls. The email will also include guidance on sharing the new link, which may refer to Share files from Google Drive.

This information is being provided in case members of the Cornell community have questions about the validity or significance of the email from Google.