Google has changed its storage policies in a number of services.
Note this about Gmail, Google Drive, and Photos
“With these changes, we are in line with standard industry practice. Since you have previously used one or more of these products in your Google Account storage, we would like to inform you of the new guidelines in good time before they take effect June 1, 2021.
Below is a summary of the new guidelines. You can find a complete list of the changes in this support article ", Google reports to its customers in an email.
The new guidelines apply from June 1, 2021, and note this about Photos (the highlight is ours):
If you are inactive for 2 years (24 months) in Gmail, Drive, or Photo, we may delete the contents of the product or products where you are inactive. Google One subscribers who are within their storage quota and have a good reputation will not be affected by this new inactivity rule. ”
And:
IF YOU EXCEED YOUR STORAGE LIMIT FOR TWO YEARS, WE CAN DELETE YOUR CONTENT IN GMAIL, DRIVE AND PHOTO.
Also, be aware of the following: