Google has updated its policies for inactive Gmail accounts. Starting later this year, if a Google Account has not been used or signed into for at least 2 years, Google may delete the account and all its contents. This includes content within Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, YouTube and Google Photos.
Google in its internal analysis found that abandoned accounts are at least 10x less likely than active accounts to have 2-step-verification set up which means these accounts are more vulnerable to data theft. To reduce this risk, Google has updated its inactivity policy for Google Accounts to 2 years across all its products.
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Google informs that the new policy is applicable to only personal Google Accounts, and will not affect accounts for organisations like schools or businesses.
“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.”
While the updated policy has already come into effect, Google says that it will not immediately impact users with an inactive account. The earliest it will begin deleting accounts is December 2023. It will happen in a phased manner starting with accounts that were created and never used again.
Google will send several notifications to alert users before deleting an account. The intimation will be done over both the account email address and the recovery email if one has provided.
To ensure your Google Account remains active, the company recommends to log in at least once every two years. By engaging in various actions while signed in, such as reading or sending emails, using Google Drive, watching YouTube videos, downloading apps from the Google Play Store, performing searches on Google, or using the “Sign in with Google” feature for third-party apps or services, you maintain account activity.
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Additionally, if you have an active subscription associated with your Google Account, such as Google One, a news publication, or an app, this activity will also be considered, and your account will not be affected by the policy change.