Google Updates Inactivity Policy, Will Delete Accounts Unused For 2 Years
Many Internet users tend to own throwaway Google Accounts made for specific purposes such as creating new profiles on social media.
These accounts are often abandoned after serving their intended purposes.
Source: Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
However, what most users do not realise is that such accounts bring with them potential security threats like phishing scams and account hijacking.
In a bid to counter these threats, Google updated its inactivity policy on Tuesday (16 May).
Starting in December 2023, the company will begin deleting accounts that have been inactive for at least two years.
Google will delete inactive accounts to guard against security threats
The tech giant announced through a news release that it is updating its inactivity policy for Google Accounts across all its products.
From this December, the firm will start to delete accounts which have been inactive for two or more years.
They will also delete accounts and contents under the following services:
- Gmail
- Docs
- Drive
- Meet
- Calendar
- YouTube
- Google Photos
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The company attributed the decision to how inactive accounts are more likely to be compromised.
In fact, an internal analysis by the firm found that abandoned accounts are 10 times less likely to have their two-step verification set up.
Furthermore, these accounts tend to rely on old passwords that may have already been compromised.
As such, these accounts are more vulnerable, making them especially prone to security issues like identity theft and potentially malicious content like spam.
The policy change will only apply to personal Google Accounts, so accounts of organisations like schools or businesses will not be affected.
Those with existing subscriptions tied to their Google Accounts will also not be impacted.
Users of Google Photos, however, will have to specifically sign in to the service to keep their accounts active.
A two-year inactivity period will also result in the deletion of photos and other stored content.
In addition, Google reassured users that it will adopt a “phased approach” to the deletions.
Elaborating, it shared that it would start deleting accounts that were created and never used again.
It added that it will provide ample notice through the account email address and any recovery email addresses prior to deletion.
The company will also send such notifications to Google Photos users before deleting any stored content.
Sign in at least once every 2 years to keep your account active
If this brings to mind an unused account that stores content you hold dear, fret not.
Here’s what you can do to keep your accounts active:
- Sign in to your Google Account or its other services
- Read or send an email
- Use Google Drive
- Watch a YouTube video
- Download an app on Google Play Store
- Use Google Search
- Use ‘Sign in with Google’ when signing in to a third-party app or service
Nevertheless, if you’re feeling kiasu and don’t mind going the extra mile for peace of mind, you can tap on Google Takeout to back up your data, just in case.
Alternatively, create a Gmail autoresponder, or send specific files to trusted contacts after 18 months of inactivity using Google’s Inactive Account Manager.
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Featured image adapted from Firmbee.com on Unsplash.
