July 8, 2025
Drive IRM Update: More Control for File Owners and Shared Drive Managers
Individual Google Drive file owners and shared drive managers can now apply printing, copying, and downloading restrictions to users with edit permissions.
What’s changing
The Information Rights Management (IRM) feature for Drive prevents the downloading, copying and printing of documents for viewers and commenters. Currently, individual file owners can use IRM to limit viewers and commenters from printing, copying, or downloading a file. Earlier this year, we launched the ability for admins to restrict these actions for users with edit permissions.Now, individual file owners and shared drive managers can apply printing, copying, and downloading restrictions to users with edit permissions as well. Editors and owners can still edit the document itself, however they can only copy and paste document content within the document itself.
As a whole, IRM controls give both admins and end users the ability to help prevent sensitive content from being leaked.
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Getting started
- Admins: IRM can be applied to all users, including file writers and owners, when it is applied by a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) rule. Visit the Help Center to learn more about preventing commenters and viewers from downloading, printing, or copying files and our previous announcement concerning the ability for admins to restrict actions for users with edit permissions.
- End users: Once this feature is enabled, all entry points for downloading, printing, and copying will be removed from Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides on all platforms. Note: If a file has both an administrator-applied IRM setting and a file owner setting on it, the administrator setting takes priority. Visit the Help Center to learn more about stopping, limiting, or changing how your files are shared.
Rollout pace
- Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 8, 2025, with expected completion on August 5, 2025
Availability
- IRM controls are available for all Google Workspace customers
- Data Loss Prevention Rules and Context-Aware Access conditions are available for Google Workspace:
- Enterprise Standard and Plus
- Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, and the Teaching and Learning add-on
- Frontline Standard
- Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus