TECHNOLOGY
Google has announced its decision to permanently delete inactive Gmail accounts, effective December 1st. This policy will impact all personal Google accounts that have remained dormant for two years. Accounts will be made inactive if they haven’t been used for logging in, sending or receiving emails, or storing files in Google Drive.
The company’s Vice President of Product Management, Ruth Critchley, cited the vulnerability of inactive accounts to hacking and phishing attacks as the primary reason behind this decision. These accounts often lack strong passwords or two-factor authentication, making them easy targets for cyber threats. Additionally, inactive accounts consume valuable storage space on Google’s servers, prompting the need for optimization.
Before deleting an account, Google will send a series of warning emails to the account holder. The first warning will be sent six months prior to the scheduled deletion, followed by another three months later. The final warning will arrive one month before the account’s permanent removal.
If the account holder fails to reactivate their account after receiving the third and final warning, it will be permanently deleted. Google emphasizes its commitment to user privacy and assures that only genuinely inactive accounts will be affected.
To safeguard your Google account and prevent its deletion:
- Log in to your Gmail account at least once every two years.
- Utilize your Gmail account for sending or receiving emails.
- Store files in your Google Drive.
- Engage with YouTube videos.
- Download apps from the Google Play Store.
In case you forget your Google account password, Google’s account recovery tools can assist in resetting it. Read more: here
