According to the VP of Product Management at Google, Ruth Kricheli, Google has announced a new policy regarding inactive accounts. Starting from December 2023, Google will delete personal accounts and their associated content if they have been inactive for at least two years.
The tech giant aims to protect its users from potential risks associated with forgotten or unattended accounts, stating that these accounts often lack updated security measures, making them more susceptible to compromise.
It is important to note that this policy applies solely to personal Google Accounts and will not affect organizational accounts, such as those belonging to schools or businesses. By adopting this approach, Google aims to strike a balance between protecting user data and respecting the privacy and security needs of different users.
Google will gradually implement this account deletion policy and provide ample notice to users. To keep an account active and exempt from deletion, users simply need to sign in at least once every two years. Also, various activities, such as reading or sending emails, using Google Drive, watching YouTube videos, downloading apps from the Play Store, conducting Google searches, and using third-party apps or services that utilize Google Sign-in, count as account activity.
