I wasn't trying to imply that paying for Google drive would eliminate the data monetization model. In fact, the terms of service appear to be identical for free

I wasn't trying to imply that paying for Google drive would eliminate the data monetization model. In fact, the terms of service appear to be identical for free or paid if you're using Google Drive for personal use, so perhaps that's where the disconnect is. However, it's interesting to note that Google mentions that they are willing to negotiate the terms of service for businesses using the paid Apps service: note that additional terms may apply for negotiated Google Apps agreements. https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2450387?hl=en https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2450387?hl=en In the case of HIPAA compliance for healthcare, or data privacy compliance requirements for industries that store files with personally identifiable information (PII) in the cloud, I wonder if Google would amend the TOS to include server-side encryption, or other safeguards, which would mitigate the issue. This is something I will investigate further, as I'm not sure what the answer is. Regardless of what a Google Product Manager states (marketing rhetoric or current policy), Google's legally binding terms of service are the only terms that matter at the end of the day: Our automated systems analyze your content (including emails) to provide you personally relevant product features, such as customized search results, tailored advertising, and spam and malware detection. This analysis occurs as the content is sent, received, and when it is stored. It would be great if Google updated their terms to be clearer. In the mean time I'll take their word on it.