The ownership difference
In Google Workspace, files placed in a shared drive belong to the team rather than one individual user. Google says they remain when a member leaves. A file in a person's My Drive can have different ownership and handoff needs. Sharing a personal file with many colleagues does not automatically make it team-owned.
A departure example
A designer leaves. Campaign assets stored in a shared drive remain accessible to authorized team members after their membership is removed. Drafts owned in the designer's My Drive may need an administrator-led ownership transfer. The successor should test opening and editing the actual files before account deletion; a visible filename alone does not prove correct access.
Permission still matters
Shared-drive membership, file-level shares and limited-access folders can make an individual item's audience narrower or broader than expected. Use the organization's policy for sensitive or personal data and preserve needed records before removing an account. Google's
shared-drive overview explains team ownership; its
ownership guide notes administrator-assisted bulk transfer in work or school environments.
