For Google users who don’t regularly utilize their accounts, there is a possibility that they might lose access to their Gmail accounts in the upcoming month. In December 2023, millions of Gmail accounts are at risk of being deleted as part of a process that specifically aims to deactivate accounts that have remained inactive for a minimum of two years.
In a blog post written by Google Vice President of Product Management Ruth Kricheli in May, the company said it is taking steps to reduce the risk. Google is updating our inactivity policy for Google Accounts to 2 years across our products. Starting in December, if a Google account has not been used or signed into for at least 2 years, we may delete the account and its contents, including content within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar), and Google Photos.
“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 post read.
Our internal analysis shows abandoned accounts are at least 10x less likely than active accounts to have two-step verification set up. 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.”
The policy only applies to personal Google accounts that haven’t opened their Gmail account in two years and will not affect accounts for organizations like schools or businesses.
Google will send email notifications to the account holder and their recovery email address before deleting an inactive account. However, if the account holder does not take any action to keep their account active, it will be deleted.
There are a few things that Google users can do to keep their accounts active, even if they don’t use them regularly:
- Sign in to their account at least once every two years. This can be done from any device, web browser, or app.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). This will add an extra layer of security to their account and make it less likely to be compromised.
- Use their account to access Google products and services. This could include things like checking Gmail, using Google Drive, or watching videos on YouTube.
- Set up an Inactive Account Manager. This allows the account holder to choose what happens to their account and data if it becomes inactive.
Google users who are concerned about losing access to their Gmail accounts should take some time to review their account settings and make sure that they are taking steps to keep their account active.
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