It looks like Google is looking to do some spring cleaning. On Tuesday, Alphabet Inc.’s Google announced it plans to begin deleting accounts that have remained inactive for at least two years in an effort to prevent security risks.
Along with access to email, deleting a Google account could include losing access to Google Docs, Meet, Calendar, Google Photos and YouTube.
When will Google start deleting inactive Google accounts?
The new update to the policy will take place immediately, but “Google said it will not begin deleting accounts until December,” CNN reported.
Reuters reported, “The policy change only applies to personal Google accounts and not to those for organizations like schools or businesses.”
Why is Google deleting inactive Google accounts?
One reason for the updated policy is because the older accounts are more likely to have less security protections in place like two-step authentication, as well as old or repeated passwords.
“Meaning, these accounts are often vulnerable, and once an account is compromised, it can be used for anything from identity theft to a vector for unwanted or even malicious content, like spam,” Ruth Kricheli, Google’s vice president of product management, told NPR.
The first accounts to go — Google accounts “that were created then never revisited by the user,” per CNN.
What to do if you don’t want to lose your inactive Google account
Google has said accounts in danger of being deleted will receive several warnings before getting permanently deleted. But if you have an account you haven’t used in two years that you don’t want to lose, here’s what to do, according to Wired.
- If you know the username and password, just log in. That will count as it being active.
- If you don’t remember the password, follow the steps from Google’s support team to recover your account.
- If you want to make sure you maintain access to accounts you use sparingly, “Try setting a reminder on your calendar to log in and click around every so often.”