Being locked out from google account is one of my biggest fears in practical computer usage. Over the years I can't even tell how much I'm sunk into using tiny pieces of google's services, even though for most crucial things I tend to omit google and look for alternatives that are easier to handle in problematic situation. Mail is one of the things I'm most worried about.
As one who's never trusted my data to Google I really am curious why so many actually do so. Is the convenience truly that great that people are even prepared to gamble the loss of their data? Alternatively, why is it that some of us have always been mistrustful of Big Tech and most others not? They're completely opposite worldviews.
I expect that most users think on the same level as they do with metadata: "I have nothing to hide so can't be a possible target." And if an algorithm suddenly marks them as a target (for whatever I transparent reason) they do not understand that they might just be "collateral damage" …
My IT world view was formed in the 90s when various proprietary file formats became more or less inaccessible due to "software obsolescence"). Which told me that only more or less plain text (mark-up is fine, as it is text too) will guarantee that I can access my data years later. People who started their live with Big Tech (so-called digital natives -- or is that naives? ;-) might have to learn this sooner or later.