Google will delete inactive accounts starting next month

Google formally declared in May that it will begin removing personal accounts that have been dormant for two years, with the cleansing process beginning in December 2023. The idea for this fairly daring step is that elderly accounts are often the most attractive targets for hackers since they may be employing insecure passwords, similar to those used by hacked accounts discovered on the dark web. They are also the targets of harmful actions like as spam, phishing schemes, and account takeover.

According to Independent, Google has begun sending email reminders to people with dormant accounts on the impacted accounts as well as recovery addresses, warning them that their accounts are being destroyed for security reasons. Those affected will get an email informing them that the change is being made "to protect your private information and prevent any unauthorized access to your account even if you are no longer using our services." This can be an issue for those who have previously used certain email addresses to sign up for websites, as canceling such accounts may result in losing access to those sites.

In terms of what will be removed, Google has stated unequivocally that it will delete all data discovered on any of its services, including Gmail, Docs, Drive, and so on. However, if an account was used to publish a YouTube video, it will not be deleted, as such a move might result in the loss of legacy material on YouTube as well. If you're among those affected and wish to keep your account active, send an email, download an app from the Play Store, or watch a YouTube video with that account before December.

Notably, Google is just removing personal accounts; business and educational email addresses are unaffected. Having stated that, the procedure will be irreversible, so make sure to act accordingly.