The Silent Shift in Backblaze's Backup Policy

For a decade, I relied on Backblaze to safeguard my data, transitioning from cumbersome external hard drives to their cloud service. Their unlimited storage and efficient service, highlighted by their hard drive reviews, won me over. Even when a hard drive failed, they delivered my data back to me, reinforcing my trust. However, small annoyances like a memory-heavy app and a clunky website were overshadowed by the peace of mind they provided.

Recently, I discovered a disturbing trend: Backblaze quietly stopped backing up certain folders, including .git, OneDrive, and Dropbox, without notifying users. This revelation came to light when I needed to restore a .git folder, only to find it wasn't backed up. A Reddit thread further revealed that Dropbox folders were also excluded, prompting me to check my OneDrive folder, which was missing too. This exclusion was buried in their release notes as an 'improvement,' aimed at preventing performance issues and data usage.

The assumption that cloud sync services like OneDrive and Dropbox suffice as backups is flawed. They offer limited retention and are vulnerable to account bans, unlike Backblaze's previous promise of comprehensive backup. The lack of transparency in these changes feels like a betrayal. Backblaze's policy shift, without clear communication, undermines the trust users placed in their promise of 'Unlimited, Simplified, Secure Personal Online Backup.'

This silent policy change raises concerns about what else might be excluded in the future, potentially critical file formats for various workflows. The essence of Backblaze's service—backing up all user data without restrictions—has been compromised. This article serves as a warning: Backblaze is no longer the reliable backup service it once was.