Google Workspace backup for Local Councils
Local Councils rely on Google Workspace for planning records and resident correspondence. But Google only retains deleted data for 30 days. Your retention obligation lasts Up to 30 years (planning) / 7 years (financial). Mindtime closes the gap.
(GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act)
permanently deleted after this
GDPR-compliant · no US jurisdiction
How Local Councils use Google Workspace
Local Councils use Google Workspace as a central workspace for Gmail, Drive, Google Meet and Calendar. What most users don't realise: all that data is not automatically protected when an account is deleted, ransomware strikes or an employee makes a mistake.
Gmail
Resident communications, committee correspondence and FOI responses
Google Drive
Planning applications, council minutes, policy documents and contracts
Calendar & Meet
Council meetings, committee hearings and recorded public sessions
Shared Drives
Departmental shared drives for planning, housing and legal teams
Google Chat
Internal officer coordination and inter-departmental updates
Google Forms
Resident feedback forms, planning consultation responses and service requests
Does Google Workspace automatically back up your data?
Google Workspace is reliable as a platform — 99.9% uptime, secure infrastructure, automatic redundancy. But Google does not back up your data. That is the core of the Shared Responsibility Model: Google is responsible for the platform, you are responsible for your data.
What Google does offer: deleted files and emails remain available for 30 days via the Trash. After that they are permanently gone — even for Google itself. Ransomware doesn't wait 30 days. Neither does an accidental account deletion.
Ransomware via Drive sync
Ransomware encrypts files on your local computer. Google Drive immediately syncs those encrypted versions to the cloud — overwriting your 'cloud copy'. After 30 days there is no recovery.
Account deleted
When an employee leaves and their Google account is deleted, everything disappears: Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Meet recordings, Chat history. By default you have 20 days to export data — after that it's gone.
Loss of FOI evidence
If documents subject to a Freedom of Information request are deleted before the request is fulfilled, the council faces legal exposure. Google's 30-day window provides no protection.
Is Google Vault a backup? No — here's the difference
Many Local Councils use Google Vault for email archiving or e-discovery. That's valuable — but it is not a backup. Vault archives data for legal purposes. It does not restore data after an attack or error.
| Feature | Google Workspace (built-in) | Google Vault | Mindtime GW Backup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery after ransomware | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Restore deleted account (>30 days) | ✗ | Limited | ✓ |
| Item-level email/file recovery | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Drive file recovery | 30 days | ✗ | ✓ |
| Retention compliance Up to 30 years (planning) / 7 years (financial) | ✗ | Email only | ✓ All apps |
| Data on Dutch servers | ✗ US/EU mix | ✗ US/EU mix | ✓ 100% NL |
| ISO 27001 certified | Google-level | Google-level | ✓ Mindtime + Google |
Conclusion: Google Vault and Mindtime are complementary, not interchangeable. Vault archives for e-discovery. Mindtime recovers after incidents. Learn more about Mindtime's Google Workspace backup →
What Mindtime backs up in Google Workspace
Mindtime connects via the official Google Workspace API and continuously backs up all content from your Google environment — per user, per app, in the background.
Gmail
All emails, attachments, labels and folders. Item-level recovery — including emails deleted by users or administrators.
Google Drive
All files, folders and version histories — including Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. Restore individual files or entire folder structures.
Shared Drives
Team Drive content, including permissions and folder structure. Critical for Local Councils who collaborate via shared folders.
Google Calendar
Appointments, meeting invitations and calendar items. Restore per user or per calendar.
Contacts
Personal contacts and directory data. Essential for sectors with extensive client and relationship databases.
Google Chat & Meet
Chat histories and Meet recordings. Essential for Local Councils who record client conversations or meetings.
Google Workspace and your retention obligation as local council
Data that Local Councils manage in Google Workspace falls under GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act. That obligation means you must be able to reproduce data for at least Up to 30 years (planning) / 7 years (financial) — even after an incident.
Google is GDPR-compliant as a platform. But the duty to recover lies with you, not Google. If data is lost due to an error, attack or account deletion, Google is not responsible for recovering your data.
Mindtime automatically configures retention policies based on your legal obligations — including the exact terms required by GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act. All data is stored on exclusively Dutch servers, fully within GDPR jurisdiction. No US law, no Patriot Act exposure.
ISO 27001 certified — independent proof that our processes meet the highest security standards.
What happens when things go wrong — a scenario for Local Councils
Imagine: a planning officer's account is deleted after redundancy — removing five years of planning correspondence, decision notices and consultation records from Drive and Gmail.
Automatic alert — within minutes
Mindtime detects the change and immediately sends an alert. You don't need to check the backup manually.
Choose a recovery point — to the minute
Via the Mindtime dashboard you select the moment before the incident. You choose the exact user, app and timestamp.
Selective or full recovery
Restore a single email, a Drive folder, or a complete employee Google account. No big-bang recovery when it's not needed.
Operational — within 2–4 hours
Your Local Councils team has full access restored to planning records and resident correspondence. No ransom paid, no data lost, no GDPR breach notification needed.
Secure your Google Workspace data in five steps
Setup via the Google Workspace Admin Console takes less than an hour. After that, everything runs fully automatically.
Request a demo — free and no obligation
We show you how Mindtime works for Local Councils — including per-app coverage and retention settings for Up to 30 years (planning) / 7 years (financial).
Connect via Google Workspace Admin Console
No software installation. Mindtime connects via the official Google Workspace API. Authorise via your Admin Console — done in minutes.
Configure your retention policy
Set which users, which apps and how long — aligned to GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act (Up to 30 years (planning) / 7 years (financial) retention obligation).
First backup + test recovery
The first full backup starts automatically. We run a test recovery together — so you know it works before you ever need it.
Runs automatically — quarterly review
Mindtime runs fully in the background. Monthly backup reports + quarterly review to keep the scope up to date.
How Local Councils use Google Workspace
How Local Councils use Gmail, Drive, Calendar and more
Local Councils use Google Workspace as their central workspace for Gmail, Drive, Google Meet and Calendar. What many don't realise: data is not automatically protected if an account is deleted, ransomware strikes, or an employee makes a mistake. Gmail contains resident communications, committee correspondence and foi responses. Google Drive holds planning applications, council minutes, policy documents and contracts.
- Local Councils
- Google Workspace
- GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act
Does Google Workspace back up your data?
The Shared Responsibility Model explained
Google Workspace is reliable as a platform — 99.9% uptime, secure infrastructure, automatic redundancy. But Google does not back up your data. That is the Shared Responsibility Model: Google is responsible for the platform, you are responsible for your data. Deleted files remain recoverable for 30 days via the Trash — after that they are permanently gone.
Ransomware via Drive sync
Ransomware encrypts local files. Google Drive immediately syncs the encrypted versions — overwriting your cloud copy. After 30 days there is no recovery.
Account deleted
When an employee leaves and their account is deleted, everything disappears: Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Meet recordings, Chat history. You have 20 days to export — then it's gone.
Loss of FOI evidence
If documents subject to a Freedom of Information request are deleted before the request is fulfilled, the council faces legal exposure. Google's 30-day window provides no protection.
Google Vault vs Mindtime
Is Google Vault a backup? No — here's the difference
Many Local Councils use Google Vault for email archiving or e-discovery. That's valuable — but it is not a backup. Vault archives data for legal purposes. It cannot restore data after a ransomware attack, account deletion or human error. Mindtime is a full backup and recovery platform for all Google Workspace apps.
| Feature | Google Workspace (built-in) | Google Vault | Mindtime GW Backup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery after ransomware | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Restore deleted account (>30 days) | ✗ | Limited | ✓ |
| Item-level email/file recovery | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Drive file recovery | 30 days | ✗ | ✓ |
| Retention compliance Up to 30 years (planning) / 7 years (financial) | ✗ | Email only | ✓ All apps |
| Data on Dutch servers | ✗ US/EU mix | ✗ US/EU mix | ✓ 100% NL |
| ISO 27001 certified | Google-level | Google-level | ✓ Mindtime + Google |
What Mindtime backs up
Gmail, Drive, Shared Drives, Calendar, Contacts, Chat & Meet
Mindtime connects via the official Google Workspace API and continuously backs up all content from your Google environment — per user, per app, in the background.
Gmail
All emails, attachments, labels and folders. Item-level recovery — including emails deleted by users or administrators.
Google Drive
All files, folders and version histories — including Docs, Sheets and Slides. Restore individual files or entire structures.
Shared Drives
Team Drive content including permissions and folder structure. Critical for Local Councils who collaborate via shared folders.
Compliance for Local Councils
GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act — Up to 30 years (planning) / 7 years (financial) retention obligation
Data that Local Councils manage in Google Workspace falls under GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act. That means you must be able to reproduce data for at least Up to 30 years (planning) / 7 years (financial) — even after an incident. Google is GDPR-compliant as a platform, but the duty to recover lies with you. If data is lost due to an error, attack or deletion, Google is not responsible for recovering your data. Mindtime automatically configures retention policies aligned to GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act, storing all data exclusively on Dutch servers — fully within GDPR jurisdiction.
Recovery scenario
A real scenario for Local Councils — back up within 2–4 hours
Imagine: a planning officer's account is deleted after redundancy — removing five years of planning correspondence, decision notices and consultation records from Drive and Gmail. With Mindtime, your team restores the data via a point-in-time backup within 2–4 hours — no ransom paid, no data lost, no GDPR breach notification required.
Automatic alert — within minutes
Mindtime detects the change and immediately sends an alert. You don't need to check the backup manually.
Choose a recovery point — to the minute
Via the Mindtime dashboard you select the moment before the incident. Choose the exact user, app and timestamp.
Selective or full recovery
Restore a single email, a Drive folder, or a complete employee Google account. No big-bang recovery when it isn't needed.
Operational — within 2–4 hours
Your Local Councils team has full access restored to planning records and resident correspondence. No ransom, no data loss, no GDPR notification required.
Five steps to secure your data
Set up in under an hour via Google Admin Console
Setup via the Google Workspace Admin Console takes less than an hour. After that, everything runs fully automatically. Mindtime configures retention for GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act — Up to 30 years (planning) / 7 years (financial) — out of the box.
- ISO 27001
- 100% Dutch servers
- GDPR-compliant
- GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act
Request a demo
Free demo, no obligation
Connect via Admin Console
Official API — done in minutes
Configure retention
Aligned to GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act
First backup + test recovery
Automatic, verified
Runs automatically
Monthly reports + quarterly review
Frequently asked questions about Google Workspace backup for Local Councils
Frequently asked questions about Google Workspace backup for Local Councils.
Does Google Workspace automatically back up my data?
Google Workspace offers high platform availability but no backup. Deleted files are recoverable for 30 days via the Trash — after that they are permanently gone. Mindtime adds an independent, immutable backup outside Google's platform.
What is the difference between Google Vault and Mindtime?
Google Vault is an archiving tool for legal e-discovery and email retention. It does not restore data after ransomware, account deletion or human error. Mindtime is a complete backup and recovery platform for all Google Workspace apps.
Does Mindtime support the Local Government records retention schedule?
Yes. Mindtime allows you to configure retention periods per user, department or data type — fully aligned to local government records management codes.
How does Mindtime handle Subject Access Requests under GDPR?
Mindtime makes it straightforward to search and retrieve personal data across Gmail, Drive and Calendar — supporting timely responses to SARs without manual trawling.
Is Mindtime compliant with GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act?
Yes. Mindtime is ISO 27001 certified and stores all data exclusively in Dutch data centres within GDPR jurisdiction. Retention is automatically configured to comply with GDPR + Local Government records management codes + FOI Act — including the Up to 30 years (planning) / 7 years (financial) obligation for planning records and resident correspondence.
How quickly can I recover data?
A single email or file is recoverable within minutes. A full user account within 2–4 hours. Mindtime restores directly into Google Workspace — no manual import required.
Does Mindtime also work for related sectors?
Yes. Mindtime provides Google Workspace backup for various sectors. View the Google Workspace page for more information.
Protect your Google Workspace data as local council
ISO 27001 certified · 100% Dutch servers · Connect via Admin Console · Operational within one hour
Learn more about Mindtime Google Workspace Backup →Free and no obligation · Average setup time: < 1 hour via Google Admin Console