Google Doc users locked out of files due to code error

Issue now fixed, but lasted for around a day, due to code that was not properly checked

An issue with Google Docs left many users unable to access their accounts or files for up to 24 hours recently.

Without prior warning, some Google Docs users have found themselves locked out of their own files (or those they previously had access to) for, stated that files had "been flagged as inappropriate" and could no longer be accessed.

Computing understands that the issue has now been fixed.

Many users took to Twitter with umbrage at the situation, and in search of an explanation.

After nearly a day, and many, many complaints, a member of the Google Docs team posted on the product forum to confirm that the problem should be rectified and that access had been restored.

It transpires that even Google sometimes pushes code live that hasn't been properly checked, which is what the company says happened in this instance.

"We made a code push that incorrectly flagged a small percentage of Google Docs as abusive, which caused those documents to be automatically blocked. A fix is in place and all users should have full access to their docs," Google's spokesperson wrote.

While it might seem like 'no harm done' if access is fully restored, the simple fact that Google can (at any time) cut off access to all your private files in a way that means you can't use them at all will make a lot of people nervous about using Google's cloud-based Drive services without a local backup. And it would seem, rightly so.

Google says that it "will put processes in place to prevent this from happening again" in the future.