Gmail users have been warned to take action before the end of November. Google is about to purge millions of inactive Gmail accounts as part of a ramped up security drive, it has emerged, with the tech giant taking action before the month is out in ten days' time.
Inalife CEO Nicholas Worley has said it's vital for anyone who has a Google account set up for their kids or if they manage the account of a deceased loved one to take action. Mr Worley added: "Google is about to purge millions of inactive Gmail accounts including emails, documents, spreadsheets, calendar appointments, photos and videos! Login, save or backup any important memories and stories!"
Google has justified the change by saying that unused accounts are 'more likely to be compromised'. In a blog post, Google VP of Product Management Ruth Kricheli said: "...If an account hasn't been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised.
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"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." Google says to reduce security flaws, it is updating the inactivity policy for Google Accounts to 2 years across products.
If a Google Account has not been used or signed into for at least 2 years, the tech giant may delete the account and its contents – including content within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar) and Google Photos. The policy only applies to personal Google Accounts, and will not affect accounts for organizations like schools or businesses.
The earliest Google will begin deleting accounts is December 2023. It will take a phased approach, starting with accounts that were created and never used again. Before deleting an account, Google will send multiple notifications over the months leading up to deletion, to both the account email address and the recovery email (if one has been provided).
