Google recently announced a policy regarding the deletion of inactive Google accounts after a period of 2 years. This policy applies to various Google products, including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, and Google Photos.
The policy will take effect on December 23, 2023, and will only affect personal Google accounts. Accounts associated with organizations such as schools or businesses will not be impacted.
Prior to deleting a Google account, notifications will be sent several months in advance to both the account's email address and recovery email address, if available. These notifications aim to provide users with awareness and the opportunity to back up their data. Users can download and export their data to other platforms using the Takeout feature.
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| Illustrated Gmail |
To safeguard against security threats, Google advises users to keep their Google accounts active by engaging in regular activities.
Some examples of activities that can be performed to keep a Google account active include logging in to read or send emails, using Google Drive, watching YouTube videos, downloading apps from the Google Play Store, using Google Search, signing in with Google, and accessing third-party applications or services.
The introduction of these updates aligns with industry standards regarding account retention and deletion, as well as limiting the amount of time Google retains unused personal user information.
Typically, Google accounts that remain unused for extended periods are more susceptible to security breaches. This includes situations where users forget their passwords, neglect setting up two-factor authentication, and perform fewer security checks.
Therefore, by removing inactive Google accounts, Google states that it aims to protect users from security threats such as spam, phishing scams, and account hijacking.