Products · Cloud storage · by Google
Google Drive
Cloud storage for storing, sharing and collaborating on files, with real-time editing of Docs, Sheets and Slides.
2 / 6 how we score
What it does
Cloud storage for storing, sharing and collaborating on files, with real-time editing of Docs, Sheets and Slides.
Paraphrased from the Google Workspace Drive product page.
Legal entity
Google LLC
Google Terms of Service name Google LLC as service provider. The Workspace agreement points to a contracting-entity page that did not load, so the entity for EU business customers is not confirmed.
Headquarters
US
Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California 94043, USA. The Workspace terms (s.14.12) apply California law, with courts in Santa Clara County.
Jurisdiction fail
Contracting entity
Google LLC (US)
Alphabet 10-K Exhibit 21.01 (significant subsidiaries at 2025-12-31): Google LLC, Delaware.
Ultimate parent
Alphabet Inc. (US)
Ultimate parent. SEC EDGAR lists Alphabet Inc. (CIK 0001652044) with state of incorporation DE; latest 10-K filed 2026-02-05.
Foreign-law exposure fail
Based on the same ownership chain as jurisdiction.
Data residency fail
EU storage by default
Unknown
Workspace data regions let admins choose 'Europe' (EU), US or no preference for Drive file content at rest; the help pages do not state the default. Not covered for users without a supported edition. Looked at the data regions help pages.
EU processing by default
No
Cloud DPA s.10.1: Customer Data may be processed in any country where Google or its subprocessors maintain facilities. A separate processing region setting exists only on Frontline Plus, Enterprise Plus and Enterprise Essentials Plus.
Regions
Europe, United States
Data region choices for covered data at rest, set by the admin; optional. Drive file content is covered (data-covered-by-data-regions page).
Subprocessors fail
Public list
Yes
Workspace subprocessor list, last modified 2026-07-23, with entities and processing locations. Only the first 100,000 characters of the page were read.
Non-EU in core processing
Yes
List includes Google group and third-party entities with processing locations outside the EU, e.g. US, India, UK, Switzerland, Singapore. The page does not mark which are core. Google LLC is itself US-incorporated.
DPA pass
GDPR Art. 28 available
Yes
Cloud Data Processing Addendum, incorporated into the Workspace agreement (s.14.15); Google is processor. Covers instructions, security, deletion, audits; cites Art. 28(3) for subprocessor flow-down. Transfers: DPF or SCCs.
Lock-in pass
Open source
No
Drive is a proprietary hosted service under the Workspace agreement. No open-source release of Drive found. Looked at the terms and the Drive product page.
Self hostable
No
Offered only as a Google-hosted service (web, desktop and mobile apps); no self-hosted edition on the product page.
Full data export
Yes
Users can select and download several files; Docs, Sheets and Slides export as PDF, .docx etc. The Takeout help page (accounts/answer/3024190) does not name Drive; no single export-all confirmed.
Features not scored
End-to-end encryption
No
No default end-to-end encryption stated. Client-side encryption is listed as a premium zero-trust control on some Business and Enterprise plans only.
Document editor
Yes
Google Docs; also edits Microsoft Office files and PDFs.
Spreadsheet editor
Yes
Google Sheets, real-time collaboration.
Shared links
Yes
'Anyone with the link' or restricted; viewer, commenter or editor roles.
Password-protected links
Unknown
The sharing help page (support.google.com/drive/answer/2494822) does not mention passwords on links; it lists expiry dates for eligible work or school accounts only.
Version history
Yes
Uploaded files: versions can be deleted after 30 days or after 100 newer versions, unless marked Keep forever. Docs, Sheets and Slides use a separate history.
Desktop sync
Yes
Drive for desktop syncs files on Windows and macOS.
Mobile apps
Yes
iOS and Android apps.
What changed
- 2026-10-17 Research: Google Drive as comparison product (#35) Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01HnbkNqEnWa32X1hpMjwYn5
Every change to these facts is kept in version history. Each one was reviewed before publishing.