Digital archiving requires distinction between cloud sync and backups

Maintaining a digital family archive requires distinguishing between cloud synchronization and true data backups. While cloud services facilitate easy access and automatic uploads for photos and documents, synchronization merely aligns changes across all connected devices. This means deleting a file on one device can trigger its deletion in the cloud.

A reliable backup must preserve a previous, restorable state through independent copies and long-term retention. Users should consider data privacy and legal jurisdictions, particularly when using US-based products, and evaluate whether a service offers sufficient version history to recover accidentally deleted content.