Policy announced today will start to be implemented in December of this year; see what to do to not lose your account
Starting in December of this year, Google accounts that have been inactive for more than two years will be able to be deleted. The policy will only apply to personal Google Accounts and will not affect accounts for organizations such as schools or businesses, or accounts with a Google One subscription.
The deletion includes, in addition to emails and the Google profile, content from Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar), YouTube, and Google Photos.
Prior to this update, various Google products had different timelines and means for declaring any account inactive. The measure aims to increase internet security. Abandoned accounts are vulnerable and, once compromised, can be used by malicious actors for everything from identity theft to spreading spam.
This is a critical step to ensure that user accounts and credentials remain secure throughout the digital environment. But Google will take a careful approach and the process will not be instant and universal. It should work like this:
- Although the policy takes effect today, it will not immediately affect users with an inactive account — Account deletion starts only in December 2023;
- A phased approach will be taken, starting with accounts that were created and never used again;
- Prior to deleting an account, multiple notifications will be sent over the months prior to deletion to both the account email address and the recovery email (if provided).
How to keep an account active
To avoid deletion, you need to log in at least once every 2 years. If someone has recently signed in to your Google Account or any of our services, your account is considered active and will not be deleted. Activity can be any of the following actions taken when signing in or while signed in to your Google Account:
- Read or send an email;
- Use Google Drive;
- Watch a YouTube video;
- Download an app from the Google Play Store;
- Use Google Search;
- Use Sign In with Google to sign in to a third-party application or service.
O Google Photos has its own deletion policy and needs to be accessed independently.
At google account, in the Data and Privacy area, the option Your Digital Legacy allows you to define what happens when an account is inactive for a period of up to 18 months — in cases of death, for example. Options users can select upon enrollment include:
- Send specific files to trusted contacts of your choice;
- Apply a Gmail autoresponder;
- Completely delete your account.
See more details at Google Brazil blog.
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