Google will delete inactive accounts starting this Friday, December 1. The company, which anticipated this measure in May, assures that it makes this decision because, when an account has not been used for a long period, it is more likely to be compromised, because its owners may not have installed authentication on two factors.
“People want the products and services they use online to be safe and secure. That’s why we have invested in technology and tools to protect our users from security threats, such as spam, phishing scams and account hijacking” , explains the technology company in a statement.
However, these protections are incompatible with inactivity for two years. “Forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or reused passwords that may have been compromised and have not had two-factor authentication configured,” they argue. In other words, they are more vulnerable.
To reduce this risk, Google has chosen to update its downtime policy, which comes into effect from December 1, 2023.
This way, starting December 1, if you haven’t used or signed in to a Google Account for at least two years, the account and its content will be deleted, including Google Workspace content (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar) and Google Photos. This measure will only apply to personal Google accounts and will not affect the accounts of organizations such as schools or companies.
However, keeping our account active is simple. You only have to log in at least once every two years. “If you have recently signed in to your Google account or any of our services, your account is considered active and will not be deleted,” they maintain.
