Listen up, Google users! The multinational tech company is reportedly set to purge inactive Google accounts starting this December 2023. This is as the company intensifies its security measures.
If you have an account that has not been used in the last two years, then it will be up for deletion. Once deleted, saved data on Google brands, especially within the Google Workspace will no longer be available to users. Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Meet, and Google Calendar are all part of the Workspace.
"If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised... To reduce this risk, we are updating our inactivity policy for Google Accounts to 2 years across our products," VP Product Management Ruth Kricheli said in a statement.
Google's statement clarified that only personal accounts are targeted by their latest policy. Accounts that are set up for work, school, or any organizational purposes will not be affected by the purge.
Here are some activities you can do to keep your Google account active:
- Read or send an email
- Use Google Drive
- Watch a YouTube video
- Download an app on the Google Play Store
- While logged in, make a Google Search
- Sign in with your Google account to use a third-party app or service
- Use your Google account to make a purchase of a Google product, app, service, or subscription that is current or ongoing
- Link your Google account to a gift card with a monetary balance
- Set up Family Link using your Google account
According to Google, notifications will be sent out to the targeted inactive accounts and recovery emails (if provided) before the actual deletion. The tech company also encourages its users to set up and update their recovery emails and sign-in details.
