Gmail will remove millions of inactive accounts in December; is your account in danger? Here are the details

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Gmail will remove millions of inactive accounts in December; is your account in danger? Here are the details

The decision was driven by safety concerns since fraudsters often target dormant accounts. According to Google, inactive or forgotten accounts are more likely to use weak or recycled passwords, lack two-factor authentication, and undergo fewer security checks.

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November 9, 2023 10:30 IST
Gmail will remove millions of inactive accounts in December; is your account in danger? Here are the details
Gmail will remove millions of inactive accounts in December; is your account in danger? Here are the details

New Delhi: Google has just revealed that it will begin erasing unused Gmail accounts beginning in December 2023, so you may want to consider signing in before then. According to Google’s rules, dormant accounts are terminated after two years.

Google has given an urgent deadline for all Gmail users, warning that accounts may be erased next month, according to a recent notice. According to the tech giant’s official announcement, inactive accounts will be deleted beginning in December 2023.

Active users of Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Photos don’t need to worry; the change won’t impact their accounts. However, if your Google Account has been inactive for a long time, you need to start using it again to avoid deletion.

Why Google is Taking Such Measures?

The new regulation is an effort to tighten security since dormant or abandoned accounts provide a greater target for hackers. According to Google’s policy, accounts that haven’t been accessed for more than two years may be deleted along with any associated data. Information stored in Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Meet, Google Calendar, and Google Photos is also included.

The decision was driven by safety concerns since fraudsters often target dormant accounts. According to Google, inactive or forgotten accounts are more likely to use weak or recycled passwords, lack two-step authentication, and undergo fewer security checks. According to Google’s research, abandoned accounts are 10 times less likely to have two-factor authentication enabled, leaving them more vulnerable to fraud and theft.

This is not a random procedure; rather, it is a preventative action taken to safeguard consumers’ data. Google wants to make the internet a safer place for everyone by promoting account activation and security best practices. To avoid losing access to your Gmail account forever, you should check in before the deadline approaches.

Is Your Account Safe? 

Google suggests users be watchful and take a few simple precautions to protect their data from being deleted. Google sends repeated warnings to the primary and secondary email addresses associated with an account before removing it.

Also, Google is contacting impacted users by email. Therefore, your account should still be safe if you haven’t heard from Google.

Google stated, “Before deleting an account, we 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).”

Beware if you haven’t signed into Gmail, Drive, or Google Photos lately. Google has said it would delete inactive accounts. December is the crucial deadline for this action. This notice warns that some people may lose access to vital services and personal data in the coming weeks unless they check in and confirm with Google that they are still using them.

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