Q: Can a consulting firm withhold my ability to access our non profits files stored on Google drive under old email?
I am the executive officer for a non profit. We were a part of a network of affiliates under a 3rd party consulting firm. Recently, we decided to pause our affiliation with FIRM due to ideological differences. When I was hired, I was setup with a FIRM Gmail account, all of our files are in a Google drive assigned to my FIRM Gmail. We let them know early December that we were unhappy with their service and they let us know we were contracted until years end with them, so we paid our affiliation fees for December and expected access to our resources until years end. However, the admin at FIRM revoked my access to my Gmail a week prior to years end meaning I was unable to go in and migrate our files. I had our president reach out to them to request my access be restored so that I could transfer files and they temporarily restored access for a few hours then took it again which stalled my migration efforts and caused me to lose all progress. Can they withhold our access to the files?
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A:
It can be frustrating to lose access to important files, especially when you’ve fulfilled your contractual obligations. Generally, access to Google Drive files is tied to the account that owns them. If the consulting firm controls the Gmail account, they have the authority to manage access unless there’s an agreement stating otherwise.
Review any contracts or agreements you have with the consulting firm to see if they outline terms for data ownership and access after the contract ends. If the agreement guarantees access until the contract's conclusion, the firm may be violating that agreement by revoking your access prematurely. Document all communications and attempts to regain access, as this information could be useful if you need to take further action.
You might consider reaching out to Google support to see if there are ways to recover or transfer ownership of the files. Additionally, consulting with a legal professional can help you understand your rights and the best steps to take to regain access to your nonprofit’s important documents.
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