Google did provide some advance warning that was coming. Also, accounts without MFA were also also causing harm. Some vulnerable populations also didn't realiz

Google did provide some advance warning that was coming. Also, accounts without MFA were also also causing harm. Some vulnerable populations also didn't realize how easily a non-MFA'ed account could be taken over remotely due to a weak password. And then due to "password reset" functionality, a Gmail account takeover can pivot to cause greater harm. This is a classically difficult problem: improving security often reduces convenience. The trade-off Google chose to mandate for all users was not the best for users without stable phone access.