Google decided to strike a blow on Tuesday by updating its account inactivity policy. Be careful and protect yourself: if you haven’t linked your personal account for two years, Google can delete it along with its contents.
Google declared The update to its account inactivity policy is surprising. In the last two years, the American behemoth made it clear that all personal accounts that do not register at least one link can be deleted with all their contents. This action is useful From December 2023 onwards.
Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, Photos, YouTube and more
Remember that a Google Account is more than just a tool for saving your search preferences or accessing your Gmail. It’s the gateway to the entire ecosystem of Google products and services like Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, Photos, YouTube and more.
Deleting inactive accounts on online services is not a new practice. For example, Twitter stipulates that users must log in at least once every 30 days to maintain their account. WhatsApp, meanwhile, sets a maximum inactivity period of 120 days to keep an account.
The change that Google has made is significant. Earlier, the policy stated that users who deactivate their account for more than two years will lose the contents of the account but not the account. So this point has been changed. Please note that this new policy does not apply to professional or educational accounts.
Spam, Phishing and Account Hijacking
Google justifies the change with security concerns such as spam, phishing and account theft. According to the company, accounts that remain inactive for long periods of time due to weak security measures or passwords that have been reused on other services are particularly vulnerable.
The phase-out of the accounts will begin from December 2023. We’ll take a step-by-step approach, starting with accounts that are created but not used “says Google. The American company adds that before deleting an account, affected users will be notified by email several months in advance.
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