Published 2026-02-18 by TechNet Team
Google is rolling out significant changes to how permissions work in Google Drive starting mid-February 2026. If your organization uses shared drives or has migrated files from other platforms, you need to understand what is changing and how it might affect your data visibility.
What Is Changing
Previously, Google Drive allowed what is called "broken inheritance" - you could grant broad access at a parent folder level, then selectively remove access from specific subfolders. Those restricted subfolders would be completely invisible to users who did not have access.
That is going away.
Going forward, Google is eliminating the ability to selectively restrict inherited permissions on individual items. Instead, organizations must use Google's "Limited Access" feature to restrict access to subfolders.
The practical result: restricted folders will now appear "greyed out" instead of completely hidden.
What This Means in Practice
What stays the same
- Permission fidelity is preserved - users still cannot access content they could not access before
- File and folder security remains intact
- Access controls still work as expected
What changes
- Users can now see that restricted folders exist, even if they cannot open them
- Folder hierarchies become fully visible to anyone with access to the parent
- Restricted items appear greyed out rather than hidden
Why This Matters
At first glance, this might seem like a minor UI change. But consider what folder names often reveal:
- "2026 Layoff Planning"
- "Acquisition Target - CompanyName"
- "Legal - Employee Termination - J. Smith"
- "Executive Compensation Review"
- "Project Sunset - Product Discontinuation"
If your organization has folders with sensitive or revealing names, those names will now be visible to anyone who can see the parent folder - even if they cannot access the contents.
The security of the files inside has not changed. But the existence and naming of those folders is no longer hidden.
Who Is Most Affected
This change has the biggest impact on organizations that:
- Migrated files from Microsoft 365, SharePoint, or OneDrive
- Migrated from Windows file servers
- Migrated from Dropbox or Box
- Use complex permission structures with selective folder restrictions
- Have sensitive folder naming conventions
If you moved to Google Workspace from another platform and preserved your existing folder structure and permissions, this change could expose folder names that were previously hidden from certain users.
What You Should Do
1. Audit your folder names
Review folders that have restricted access. Ask yourself: if someone could see this folder name but not open it, would that be a problem? Look for names that reveal:
- Personnel actions or HR matters
- Strategic business plans
- Legal proceedings
- Financial information
- Client or customer names in sensitive contexts
2. Rename sensitive folders
Consider using neutral naming conventions for restricted folders. "HR - Confidential 2026-Q1" reveals less than "HR - Termination Review - Marketing Team".
3. Review your permission structure
This is a good time to audit who has access to what. You might find permissions that have drifted over time - former employees still listed, contractors with access they no longer need, overly broad sharing that happened years ago.
4. Communicate with your team
Let users know they might start seeing greyed-out folders they could not see before. Explain that this does not mean their access has changed - just the visibility of the folder structure.
5. Consider your folder architecture
If you rely heavily on hiding folders for security-through-obscurity, this is a good time to reconsider that approach. True security comes from proper access controls, not from hiding that something exists.
Timeline
Google is enforcing these changes starting mid-February 2026. If you use migration tools or have recently moved to Google Workspace, check with your IT team or provider about how this affects any ongoing or planned migrations.
The Bigger Picture
This change is part of Google's ongoing effort to standardize how permissions work across Drive. While it might create some short-term work for organizations with complex permission structures, it also simplifies the permission model going forward.
The key takeaway: your files are still secure. But your folder names are now part of what users can see, even when they cannot access the contents. Plan accordingly.
Need help auditing your Google Workspace permissions or planning a cloud migration? TechNet New England provides Google Workspace administration and cloud migration services for businesses in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut. Contact us to discuss your organization's needs.