Google has announced a new policy regarding inactive accounts, stating that if users have not logged into their accounts for a period of two years, their accounts and associated content will be permanently deleted. This change comes as a departure from Google’s previous practice of only removing content from inactive accounts in order to free up storage space. Under the new policy, Google will completely delete these accounts.
According to Google, if a Google Account remains unused or unaccessed for a minimum of two years, the company will delete the account along with all its contents. This means that users will lose access to their email addresses, Gmail messages, Calendar events, Drive, Docs, Workspace files, YouTube, and Google Photos. It’s important to note that this policy only applies to personal accounts, while accounts belonging to organizations, schools, or businesses will not be affected.
Google’s decision to implement this policy stems from the belief that abandoned accounts pose a high risk of being compromised. The company explains that such accounts are often vulnerable, and if compromised, they can be exploited for purposes such as identity theft or the dissemination of unwanted or malicious content, including spam.
The process of deleting these inactive accounts will commence in December 2023. Google has stated that it will send multiple notifications to the account holders in the months leading up to the deletion, using both the account’s email address and the recovery email (if provided). The deletion process will begin with accounts that have never been used since their creation.
To ensure the continued activity of a Google account, users must sign in at least once every 24 months. Google clarifies that if users have recently signed into their Google Account or any of the associated services, their accounts will be considered active and will not be deleted.
There are several actions users can take to keep their Google accounts active. These include reading or sending emails, using Google Drive, watching YouTube videos, downloading apps from the Google Play Store, conducting searches using Google Search, and using the “Sign in with Google” feature to access third-party apps or services.
It’s worth noting that users will need to specifically sign in to Google Photos every two years to maintain account activity and prevent their content from being deleted. Google assures that it will send multiple notifications to users before taking any action regarding their accounts.
