Google deleted millions of Gmail accounts starting in December.
Emails, documents, photos, and videos associated with a Gmail account will also be permanently deleted by Google if it has been inactive for two years or more.
In May, Google announced it would begin deleting all Gmail accounts that had been inactive for at least two years. Emails, documents, spreadsheets, calendars, photos, and videos associated with them would all be permanently deleted. Prior to announcing this policy,GoogleThis only deletes the content stored in the account, not the account itself.
The company said it will begin deleting accounts starting in December 2023, beginning with accounts that were created but never used.
In a blog post, Google's Vice President of Product Management, Ruth Kricheli, shared the new policy, which aligns with industry standards for account retention and deletion, and limits the length of time Google stores unused personal information from users.
The changes aim to enhance security because unused accounts are more vulnerable to compromise. Older accounts often share passwords with other accounts. Leaked passwords from security incidents are easily found on the dark web. It also protects active Google users from security risks such as phishing and account theft.
Accounts at risk of being deleted will receive multiple notifications before Google takes action. Notifications are also sent to the email address used for account recovery, stating that the deletion is for the purpose of..."We protect your privacy and prevent any unauthorized access to your account, even after you no longer use our services."
Losing access to a Gmail account can also prevent people from using other online platforms and services linked to that address, even if they are not related to Google.
To avoid having their data deleted, Google users can simply open or send an email, use Google Drive, download an app from the Play Store, or even just search on Google while logged into their account.
It's worth noting that Google has no intention of deleting accounts that have previously posted YouTube videos, regardless of when the last post was made.
This policy applies to individual accounts. Accounts belonging to organizations such as schools and businesses are not affected.
