Google admits that it deleted customer data, and possibly even deleted it forever. The lost data was stored in the Timeline function of Google Maps.
For users who give Google permission to track their location, this function keeps a record of places visited. Photos can also be displayed, creating a visual record of a person’s travels.
Last weekend, users noticed that their Timelines had disappeared. Google acknowledged this in an email that several users shared on social media. In that email, the company wrote that there had been a brief technical problem that caused some people to lose their Timeline data.
Manual restoration from backup
According to Google, most users can restore their data if they used an encrypted backup function. Unfortunately, anyone who did not make a backup has lost their data. Those who did make a backup must restore their data manually using a procedure that Google explains in the e-mail.
The Register asked Google for further explanation about the nature of the technical problem and how many users were affected. A Google spokesperson, however, only shared the previously sent information with users. He did not provide any further substantive answers to the questions.
Previous problems with user data management
This is not the first time that Google has had problems managing historical user data. In 2023, the company changed its policy and shortened the standard retention period for location data from eighteen to three months. Some users were not aware of this and complained to Google when they could not find their data.
Other suppliers also at fault
Google is not alone in losing customer data, despite promises of reliability. In recent months, similar incidents have also been reported at companies such as Veeam and Cloudflare.
Last month, data management software supplier Veeam indicated that a recovery task and data deletion did not go as planned.
Cloudflare admitted last November that it had hacked its own logging-as-a-service service with a faulty software update, resulting in the loss of customer data.