Devon Hawkins, assistant teaching professor of economics, was recently interviewed by CNBC about the rising cost of cloud storage.
Elon University Assistant Teaching Professor of Economics Devon Hawkin was featured in a CNBC story discussing how cloud storage pricing is evolving across major tech platforms — and what it means for consumers and digital services.
The CNBC article, titled “With free storage at max from Google to Shutterfly to Snap, the price for your memories is rising,” highlights a trend of increasing costs for storing photos, videos, and other digital content online.
In the interview, Hawkins provided insights into how storage costs are being recalibrated across services like Apple iCloud, Google Photos, Snap, and Shutterfly — all of which have been adjusting their free-tier offerings and paid plans. According to Hawkin, these shifts reflect broader business strategies among tech companies as they balance infrastructure expenses with competitive differentiation. Hawkin emphasized that consumers should be aware of how pricing changes could affect long-term access to memories and important files.
“The difference now is that this feels personal. We are emotionally attached to our data. These are not just files. They are baby photos, school projects, and family milestones,” Hawkins said. “I will be honest. I sometimes worry that losing access to an account would feel like losing a digital history book for my family. That emotional connection makes the shift away from free storage feel bigger than just another subscription.”