Do Son 
The well-known cloud-storage service Dropbox has recently released a new version of its terms of service. The new terms will formally take effect on January 1, 2027. This update centers chiefly on the account-deletion mechanism, the account-suspension mechanism, and the refund policy. Notably, the deletion mechanism changes from the original 12 months of inactivity to 6 months of inactivity. The full text is available in the updated 2026 terms of service.
The Account-Deletion Mechanism, Revised
If a user has not activated any Dropbox paid plan and the account has not been logged into for 6 consecutive months, then, upon reaching the 6-month mark, Dropbox has the right to suspend or delete the account. The buffer period Dropbox originally reserved was 12 months; now, reduced to 6 months, users may need to set an alarm to remind themselves to log in periodically. Otherwise, their data may be lost after the account is deleted. Additionally, Dropbox says it will continue to provide notice by email before doing so.
Users who have already activated a paid service are not bound by the login-time limit. Within the valid period of a paid service, exceeding 6 months without logging in will not lead to deletion. However, once the paid service expires, the 6-month inactivity clock begins. Logically, it should be counted from the paid account’s expiration date, with deletion only after 6 months of inactivity.
The Same-Email Suspension Linkage
According to the latest terms, users may register multiple accounts and bind them to the same email address. Yet if any account bound to that email is suspended for a violation, the other accounts bound to the same email may also be suspended by association. Such collective suspension is rather harsh. Therefore, if a user registers multiple accounts, it is advisable to bind each to a different email address, to prevent all accounts from being suspended once one runs into trouble.
It bears special mention that whether it is a linked suspension or a suspension or deletion caused by 6 months of inactivity, once an account is suspended or deleted, the data stored within cannot be retrieved. Dropbox states explicitly that the user will be unable to access or export their material.
A Slightly Loosened Refund Mechanism
In the old terms of service, Dropbox stipulated that a refund could be requested only where legally required. The new user terms change this to refunds granted in limited circumstances as well as where legally required. This means that if a user encounters some special problem affecting their use or needs to request a refund, they can contact customer service to inquire. Afterward, customer service may, according to company policy, decide whether to grant the refund.
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