In the final month of 2023, Google is initiating a unique cleansing process, steering away from its infamous “graveyard” of discontinued services. The focus this time is on inactive personal accounts, sparing the company’s active services.
As previously announced, the purge began on December 1 for dormant Google accounts, targeting Gmail, Drive, YouTube, and Photos content that hasn’t seen activity in the past two years. This new inactivity policy, however, excludes accounts linked to work, school, or other organizations. Some exceptions also apply to personal accounts, such as those with ongoing subscriptions, purchased digital items, or an associated gift card balance.
It’s important to note that not all inactive accounts face immediate deletion. The initial targets are accounts created but left unused, aligning with Google’s outlined plans from its May announcement. Account holders should have received email notifications leading up to the December 1 deletion commencement, sent to both the account and its recovery email address. However, those who rarely use their accounts might have missed these notifications.
To avoid falling victim to the cleanup, users can simply log into their accounts or engage with a service, whether it’s watching a YouTube video, using Google Search, or reading an email. These small interactions are sufficient to reset the inactivity timer, sparing the account from deletion. Act now to secure your Google account and ensure uninterrupted access to your content.
Google says it’s purging unused accounts for security reasons, as most affected accounts are barely protected by weak or compromised passwords. These kind of accounts usually also don’t have two-factor authentication enabled, either. Hackers can use a breached account to perpetrate identity theft or send out spam. So, if you find yourself reviving an old Google account, it’s a good time to consider strengthening your password (and adding it to your password manager) as well as enabling 2FA.
On the flip side, should you be truly done with an account, you can safely let it be purged. Account names will not be recycled and no one else will be able to use them.
