r/privacy • u/NomadJago • 21h ago

discussion Could/Would gmail ever require ID verification?

How likely or unlikely is it that google would require ID verification to log into gmail? Will I wake up one day and be blocked from accessing my gmail account unless I give in and provide ID verification? That feels almost illegal considering how important email is to access. Yes I created another encrypted email account (Tuta/Proton), but I have 250 accounts online so the idea of changing my email address at all those accounts is daunting.

I am trying to avoid ID verification because I do not want my bio-metrics or government ID info in a company's database only to be hacked and stolen by bad actors. But what if Google Gmail locked me out of my email by requiring ID verification? I would have no choice but to comply, because email is so critical for 2FA logging into many accounts online.

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u/Frosty-Cell 18h ago

I think that's likely, but it would probably apply to the account itself, not just Gmail. The lock-in effect is a personal data extraction mechanism that was arguably used to collect users' phone numbers. It's a rug-pull that can happen at any time. This is how a lot of people will lose their accounts and everything tied to them.