Google Will Start Deleting ‘Inactive’ Accounts In December. Here’s What You Need To Know

NEW YORK – Have a Google account you haven’t used in a long time? Sign in before the end of the week if you want to keep it from disappearing.

Google’s modified inactive-account policy, introduced in May, allows the tech giant to remove accounts that last used at least two years ago. Accounts considered inactive will be deleted in stages beginning Friday.

If you have an account about to be deleted, They should send you repeated notifications to the email address associated with that account and its recovery address (if one exists). But, if you’re still learning about this new policy and want to be sure your work on Google Drive, Docs, Gmail, and other services is safe, here’s what you need to know.

WHY DOES GOOGLE REMOVE INACTIVE ACCOUNTS?

The company attributed its inactive account update to security concerns in its May statement.

According to the business, accounts that haven’t been used in a long time are more likely to be compromised, which notes that “forgotten or unattended accounts” generally have obsolete passwords, lack two-factor authentication, and receive fewer security checks. As a result, these accounts could be compromised and used to send spam or other malicious information and steal identities.

Signing in at least once every two years is the simplest way to keep your account active (and prevent it from being terminated).

Other activities that fulfill account activity criteria include:

• Sending or browsing through emails.
• Utilizing Google search.
• Watching YouTube videos (all while signing into your account).

Existing subscriptions linked to your account and profiles for third-party apps and publications can also be used to track activity.

A special sign-in is required to save anything on Google Photos. As previously reported by Google, photo content may be similarly destroyed after two years of inactivity, implying that you should access the app regularly to protect photographs from being deleted.

DO THIS POLICY HAVE ANY EXCEPTIONS?

Only personal accounts that have not been used in the last two years will be affected by this inactive account change. The company said that accounts created for organizations like schools or businesses will be unaffected.

According to Google’s online policy, other exclusions include accounts that manage active minor accounts, accounts that hold a gift card balance, and accounts that have been used to purchase ongoing products, apps, or subscriptions.

An official confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that there are no plans to deactivate accounts with YouTube content.

CAN I SAVE MY GOOGLE ACCOUNT DATA?

Aside from keeping your Google account active, a few tools are available to help you manage and backup your data.

For example, Google Takeout allows users to download and export account data outside of Google anytime. In addition, the Inactive Account Manager allows you to choose what happens to your account and data if it becomes inactive, including the ability to distribute specific files to trusted contacts or cancel the account entirely. There online policy also states that on a case-by-case basis, the company can work with immediate family to close a deceased loved one’s account and provide some account content – without providing login credentials.

Google requests that customers provide and update a recovery email address for their account, also used to send inactive account alerts and other information.

SOURCE – (AP)