Google to delete your inactive Gmail and YouTube accounts soon

A few weeks ago, Google announced a significant update to its inactive account policies. The tech giant announced it would begin deleting Google accounts that last used or signed in at least two years ago. Google is reportedly now notifying users about this change so they can prevent their accounts from being automatically deleted.

Google's new policy prioritises user security and reduces the risks of maintaining inactive accounts. In one of the blog posts, Google noted that the new policy will take effect from December 2023. The company will send out warning emails eight months in advance to alert users whose accounts are at risk of being deleted. Notably, the deletion will also affect all content stored in inactive accounts, including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, YouTube, and Google Photos.

"We will take a phased approach, starting with accounts created and never used again. Before deleting an account, we will send multiple notifications over the months leading up to deletion to both the account email address and the recovery email (if one has been provided)," says Google.

Why Google is deleting inactive accounts

Google plans to remove accounts that have been inactive for two years to improve security. The company says abandoned accounts are at least ten times less likely than active accounts to have two-factor authentication set up, making them more vulnerable to hacking.

Once an account is compromised, it can be used for anything from identity theft to sending spam. Google says that deleting inactive accounts will help reduce the risk of these attacks. "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," the official blog post reads.

In particular, Google ensures that the new policy will only apply to personal Google accounts and will not affect the accounts of organisations such as schools or companies. "This update aligns our policy with industry standards around retention and account deletion and also limits the amount of time Google retains your unused personal information," the company added.