Thousands of Minnesotans To Lose Free Email Service Soon

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It's been a service that's provided a free email account and unlimited storage to thousands of Minnesotans, but it's about to go away.

There are many options for free email accounts these days. Services like Gmail, Outlook, AOL, and Yahoo! all offer services that allow you to set up and maintain a personal email account, likely different from the email account set up by your employer.

But one free service thousands of Minnesotans have used for years is set to go away. And while this new change will likely affect thousands of residents of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, it's really only an issue for former students and professors of the University of Minnesota (U of M).

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In a recent news release, the U of M said 'The University of Minnesota is no longer able to provide Google Workspace, which includes Gmail, for University alumni and retirees.' That change is due mainly to several different circumstances, the U of M noted:

• Email was not widely available (today email accounts are widely available and offered free of charge)
• Cyberattacks were less sophisticated and infrequent (today, cyberattacks are sophisticated and widespread)
• Data storage was free and unlimited (today, Google and other big tech vendors charge for data storage.)

These changes mean the accounts will be going away for the following U of M alumni or former faculty members, the release said: 

• graduate(d) or retire(d) before May 31, 2024; and
• are not actively employed by the University or enrolled as a student.

Originally, the U planned a 3-month transition period for those affected by the change to move their accounts but recently extended that transition to a full year. The U also offered a complete guide on how to make that transition easier (which you can check out HERE.)

And while the promise of a U of M email account for life now going away is a big change, it's a reminder that nothing lasts forever, right? And speaking of things going away, keep scrolling to check out some familiar chains that are also not around anymore!

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