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Google to Delete Inactive Accounts Starting December

  • Publish date: Wednesday، 17 May 2023
Google to Delete Inactive Accounts Starting December

Alphabet Inc's Google announced that it will delete accounts that have been inactive for two years starting December, in an effort to reduce security threats such as hacking.

“These accounts are often vulnerable, and once an account is compromised, it can be used for anything from identity theft to a vector for unwanted or even malicious content, like spam,” said Ruth Kricheli, Google’s VP of Product Management, in a blog post.

If a Google account is not used or signed into for at least two years, the firm will delete the account and content across Google Workspace, which includes Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, and Calendar, as well as YouTube and Google Photos.

The policy change solely affects personal Google Accounts, not those used by organizations such as schools or businesses.

Google will send numerous alerts to inactive accounts' email addresses and a recovery mail before deleting them.

Google stated in 2020 that it will remove content from inactive accounts but would not delete the accounts themselves.

However, you can keep your account active through reading or sending an email, using Google Drive, downloading an app from the Google Play Store, using Google Search or signing in to a third-party app or service with your Google account.

Elon Musk announced last week that Twitter would deactivate and archive accounts that have been inactive for several years, stating that the measure is "important to free up abandoned handles."