Inactive Account Deletion - Google is Updating Inactive Account Policies
By Jon Ben-Mayoron 06/02/2023 |
Have a catchall personal Google account? Like that Gmail account you only use for sign-ups, surveys, and the like; well, you better sign in before December 2023, or you will lose it.
Google is updating its inactive account policies. Google says; people want the products and services they use online to be safe and secure. This is why we have invested in technology and tools to protect our users from security threats like spam, phishing scams, and account hijacking. Even with these protections, if an account hasn't been used for an extended period, 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.
An unused account can be vulnerable to security breaches. Once an account is compromised, it can be used for various purposes, including identity theft and distributing unwanted or harmful content, such as spam.
To mitigate this security risk, Google announced that they are updating the inactivity policy for Google Accounts to two years across the product line. It's essential to keep in mind that Google has a policy of deleting accounts that have been inactive for two years or more. This includes any content within Google Workspace, such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, YouTube, and Google Photos. To avoid any potential loss of data or access, it's recommended to regularly sign in to your Google account and use the various services offered by Google.
In the post, Google further states; This policy only applies to personal Google Accounts and will not affect accounts for organizations like schools or businesses. This update aligns our policy with industry standards around retention and account deletion and limits how long Google retains your unused personal information.
Google will implement this policy change gradually and cautiously, providing ample notification beforehand.
Although the policy is officially effective today, it will not immediately affect users with inactive accounts. The deletion of accounts will begin no earlier than December 2023 and will be carried out in phases, beginning with accounts that were created but never used.
Prior to deleting an account, Google will issue several notifications over several months to both the account email address and the recovery email (if one has been provided).
To ensure that your Google Account remains active, the easiest method is to sign in at least once every two years. As long as you have logged into your Google Account or any of our services recently, your account will be deemed active, and there will be no deletion.
An activity might include these types of actions :
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
So, log in and do something, or you'll lose that catchall account!
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Google is updating its inactive account policies. Google says; people want the products and services they use online to be safe and secure. This is why we have invested in technology and tools to protect our users from security threats like spam, phishing scams, and account hijacking. Even with these protections, if an account hasn't been used for an extended period, 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. An unused account can be vulnerable to security breaches. Once an account is compromised, it can be used for various purposes, including identity theft and distributing unwanted or harmful content, such as spam.
To mitigate this security risk, Google announced that they are updating the inactivity policy for Google Accounts to two years across the product line. It's essential to keep in mind that Google has a policy of deleting accounts that have been inactive for two years or more. This includes any content within Google Workspace, such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, YouTube, and Google Photos. To avoid any potential loss of data or access, it's recommended to regularly sign in to your Google account and use the various services offered by Google.
In the post, Google further states; This policy only applies to personal Google Accounts and will not affect accounts for organizations like schools or businesses. This update aligns our policy with industry standards around retention and account deletion and limits how long Google retains your unused personal information.
Google will implement this policy change gradually and cautiously, providing ample notification beforehand.
Although the policy is officially effective today, it will not immediately affect users with inactive accounts. The deletion of accounts will begin no earlier than December 2023 and will be carried out in phases, beginning with accounts that were created but never used.
Prior to deleting an account, Google will issue several notifications over several months to both the account email address and the recovery email (if one has been provided).
To ensure that your Google Account remains active, the easiest method is to sign in at least once every two years. As long as you have logged into your Google Account or any of our services recently, your account will be deemed active, and there will be no deletion.
An activity might include these types of actions :
So, log in and do something, or you'll lose that catchall account!
comments powered by Disqus
