Google is making some changes to its inactive account policies, the company announced in a new blog post. In an effort to reduce security threats, Google Accounts are now subject to deletion after two years of user inactivity.
“If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised. This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, haven’t had two factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user,” says Ruth Kricheli, VP of Product Management.
Personal Google Accounts that are not used within a period of two years will be deleted, which includes the removal of personal data within Google Drive, Google Workspace, Google Photos, and YouTube.
The new inactivity policy only applies to personal accounts, and will not affect school or business accounts.
While the policy is now in effect, Google says it won’t begin deleting accounts until December 2023. The company also promises to send out multiple warnings to account holders prior to the deletion event.
Lastly, the search giant lists some ways to keep your account active, including:
- Reading or sending an email
- Using Google Drive
- Watching a YouTube video
- Downloading an app on the Google Play Store
- Using Google Search
- Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service
Source: Google
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