Class Action Alleges Google Revoked ‘Free-for-Life’ Workspace Access

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A Washington-based real estate developer alleges in a proposed class action that Google has unlawfully reneged on its promise to provide free access to its Workspace platform for users who signed up during the company’s free-for-life beta-period promotion between 2006 and 2012.

The 32-page lawsuit contends that although Google expressly promised early Workspace adopters that it would provide them with a free version of the suite of computing, productivity and collaboration tools and software as long as it was offered, the tech giant breached that promise this year.

Per the case, the plaintiff and similarly situated Workspace users have been forced to choose between paying for the service or having their Workspace access suspended and potentially having to transfer, and risk losing, valuable data stored on the platform.

Although Google, in response to public outcry, “made what could be described as a partial retreat as to some customers,” these non-commercial users—individuals and families—were required to affirmatively opt to keep their free access to a product “Google was contractually obligated to provide them anyway,” the complaint says. Commercial free-for-life Workspace users were given no option to keep their free access, according to the lawsuit.

Known formerly as Google Apps and later as G Suite, Google Workspace consists of the company’s Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, Meet and Chat services, as well as Currents for employee engagement, Drive for storage, and Google Docs, among other features, the suit relays. Although some of these products are available for free to users with a Gmail account, Workspace also includes certain enterprise features, such as customized email addresses, shared Google Drive storage and other administrative tools and settings, the complaint shares.

One benefit, the case highlights, is that Workspace data are saved directly to Google’s data centers and then synchronized with other data centers for backup purposes. Another is that Workspace users are not subject to advertisements while using the suite, the suit adds.

In order to convince potential users to leave competing suites of services, Google, from 2006 to 2012, made a promise that early adopters would always be provided with a free version of Workspace that included at least the features that the platform had when they signed up, the filing says. The case relays that this promise was “very appealing” and successfully pulled thousands of users away from competing productivity platforms, such as Microsoft Office.

The suit notes that at the time, Workspace “suffered from many defects and gaps,” and Google aimed to entice as many early adopters to come aboard as it could so as to use their experiences to improve the product. By 2012, all new Workspace customers were required to pay for the suite, the case relays.

“Until recently, however, Google had never mentioned breaking the free-for-life promise made to the early adopters of Workspace,” the complaint says, noting that the exact number of free-for-life customers is unknown but “is at least in the thousands.”

In January 2022, Google announced to the free-for-life Workspace customers that it would stop providing a free version of the product within a few months, the suit states. According to the case, many free-for-life customers, faced with a choice, “reluctantly decided to pay Google’s ransom” and be charged for using Workspace.

The suit looks to represent all persons and entities in the United States who signed up for Google Workspace during the company’s free-for-life promotion (between 2006 and 2012) and were still receiving Google Workspace for free as of January 1, 2022. Customers who successfully “opted out” of Google’s transition of their account to paid Google Workspace prior to being charged or having their account suspended are excluded.

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