Gmail users are facing an imminent deadline, and Google is prepared to take action next month by potentially deleting accounts. Google has officially stated that unless users adhere to straightforward guidelines, account deletions will commence in the coming month.
This new policy was initially disclosed earlier this year, with Google setting December 2023 as the earliest timeframe for deleting accounts. There is no cause for concern for those who use Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Photos regularly as their accounts will not be affected.
Google has confirmed that only accounts that have been inactive for 2 years will be deleted.
If a Google Account has not been used or signed into for at least 2 years, we may delete the account and its contents – including content within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar) and Google Photos.
But even if your account has been unused for over 2 years, Google will send notifications months before the deletion to your email address as well as your recovery email. The search engine giant says that this is being done for security purposes as old and inactive accounts are more likely to be targeted by scammers.
Google says:
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.
According to Google’s own findings, inactive accounts are shown to be at least ten times less likely to have 2-step verification enabled compared to active accounts.
Google emphasizes that having this security feature in place significantly increases the difficulty for scammers and fraudsters attempting to gain unauthorized access to accounts worldwide. These insights are shared in Google’s security documentation and guidelines, aimed at its extensive user base.
Excellent step by Google Team,
Iappreciate this step.