Google is set to implement a major change to its consumer cloud storage policy. From June 1, 2021, new files created in Drive — including Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Jamboard — will count against users' 15GB free allotment and any supplementary Google One storage. This is in addition to attachments in those files, which already do count. The news comes at the same time a similar revamp was announced for Google Photos storage.
Currently, only the attachments within a Drive document are tallied against user storage. But from the middle of next year, the actual document/spreadsheet/presentation file in any of the above services will go towards users' storage quota if they have been created on and after June 1. They will also count if they were created before that date, but have been edited since.
You can see a full list of what files do and do not take space in your account right now and from next June with this Google One Help page.
The company is also setting a data-wiping policy for accounts that have not used Gmail, Drive, and Photos services for 2 years or have gone above their storage quota for 2 years, warning that content on inactive services may be deleted after an advance notice of 3 months. Account holders are being advised to check on their Inactive Account Manager to determine what should happen to their data and account when it becomes inactive. This policy also begins June 1, 2021.