Thousands of Gmail accounts are set to be deleted - but you don't need to worry unless you have an account you want to hang on to that you haven't used for at least two years.
Google announced that it is updating its inactive accounts policy, but promised that it the changes will be rolled out "slowly and carefully, with plenty of notice". The tech giant confirmed that it is taking the steps in a bid to reduce security threats including spam, phishing scams and account hijacking.
Google Product Management VP Ruth Kricheli explained: "If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised. This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, haven't had two factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user."
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Starting later this year, if a Google Account has not been used or signed into for at least two years, Google may delete the account and its contents – including content within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar) and Google Photos. The policy only applies to personal Google Accounts, and will not affect accounts for organizations like schools or businesses.
However, Google assured users that they have a few months before it comes into effect, with the earliest deletions set to begin in December 2023. Before deleting an account, Google will also send multiple notifications over the months leading up to deletion, to both the account email address and the recovery email if one has been provided.
The simplest way to keep your Google Account active and keep it safe from deletion is to sign in at least once every two years. If you have signed into your Google Account or any of our services recently, your account is considered active and will not be deleted.
Activity can include the following when you're signed in to your Google Account:
- Reading or sending an email
- Using Google Drive
- Watching a YouTube video
- Downloading an app on the Google Play Store
- Using Google Search
- Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service
Google also confirmed that it does not currently have any plans to delete accounts with YouTube videos. Users have been urged to make sure they provide a recovery email when they sign up for Google services or for existing users to ensure theirs is up to date, so they can be warned in plenty of time if their account is going to be deleted.
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