Google to delete inactive accounts

You have until December 2023 to log in before Google starts to delete the account and its contents such as Docs, Drive and Photos.

Google says it's part of an effort to crack down on security breaches.

If an account hasn't been used for a while, it's more likely to be compromised, the tech giant said.

"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 said its internal analysis showed that untouched accounts were 10 times less likely than active accounts to have two-step-verification set up, making it more vulnerable to malicious activity such as identity theft.

The company has updated its inactivity policy to 2 years for Google accounts.

From the end of 2023, Google may delete an account that hasn't been used or signed into for at least 2 years along with its contents.

Google says the earliest it will start deleting inactive accounts is December 2023.

Deletions will be staggered starting with accounts that were created and never used again.

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Google said it would send multiple notifications to the account and its recovery email over the months before deletion.

To keep your account active, sign in at least once every two years, the company said.

Activity that indicates an active account: