Mountain View, CA – Google has announced that it will soon start the process of deleting user accounts that have been inactive for at least two years. This new policy will go into effect on January 1, 2024.
According to a statement from Google, the goal is to “maintain and improve the integrity of our services.” By deleting accounts that are no longer in use, Google can focus its resources on active users and ensure a smooth experience across its various platforms like Gmail, Drive, Photos, etc.
“As part of ongoing efforts to ensure the integrity and security of user data, we will begin the process of deleting inactive Google accounts in early 2024,” said Andrea Núñez, Privacy & Data Governance Manager at Google. “Accounts with continued periods of inactivity are more likely to be compromised in phishing attacks or other cyber threats.”
Inactive accounts are defined as those where the registered users have not logged in for at least 24 straight months. Account holders will receive multiple notifications via email before the deletion process begins, reminding them to log in to avoid losing access.
Once an account is deleted, all associated data including emails, photos, documents and more will be permanently erased. Users who wish to keep their data will need to log in to their accounts before the two-year inactivity deadline in order to avoid deletion.
The policy change has mostly been met with approval, as cybersecurity experts agree it will help protect users against potential security breaches of unused accounts. However, some privacy advocates have voiced concerns about users losing access to precious data like old emails or photos if they fail to log in during the grace period.
Nonetheless, Google believes instituting an expiration date for inactive accounts will improve the overall security and organization of their services. Users who want to retain access to their Google accounts should be sure to log in periodically going forward.
