Starting next month, Google will start deleting inactive user accounts
Back in May, Google officially announced that it would start deleting personal accounts that have been inactive for two years, and the purging process will begin in December 2023. This rather radical step is explained by the fact that old accounts are usually the biggest target for hackers. as they may use insecure passwords. They are also targets of malicious activities such as spam, phishing, and account hijacking.
Google has now started sending out email reminders to users with inactive accounts about the deletion, warning them that their accounts are being deleted for security reasons. Those affected will receive an email informing them that this step is being implemented to “protect your personal information and prevent any unauthorized access to your account, even if you no longer use our services.”
This can be problematic for people who have previously used certain email addresses to register with websites – deleting these accounts can also mean losing access to some sites.
In terms of what will be deleted, Google has made it clear that it will delete all data found in any of its services, such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, etc. However, it is important to note that if the account was used to upload YouTube videos, it will not be deleted, as such a step may also mean removing outdated content on YouTube.
If you are among those affected and want to avoid having your account deleted, please send an email, download an app from the Play Store, or watch a YouTube video through this account before December to show account activity.
It is noteworthy that Google deletes only personal accounts; corporate and educational email addresses are not affected. However, the process will be irreversible, so act accordingly.
