Aka Ekene, PBA Journalism MenteeGoogle recently announced its intention to initiate the deletion of inactive accounts on its various platforms starting from December this year. The company defines inactive accounts as those that have not been utilized for any activity within the past two years.
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This decision stems from the susceptibility of dormant accounts to compromise and hijacking, thereby necessitating their removal. Google plans to eliminate all inactive accounts across its comprehensive range of platforms, including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, YouTube, and Google Photos. The account deletion process is scheduled to commence in December 2023.
Enhancing Security by Targeting Inactive Accounts
The criteria for identifying inactive accounts primarily revolve around the absence of sign-ins over a two-year period. Communicated through a blog post, Ruth Kricheli, Google’s VP of Product Management, emphasized the imperative nature of this course of action in safeguarding the integrity of other accounts within the platform, as inactive accounts are particularly vulnerable to compromise. Kricheli further elucidated that while Google has invested in advanced technologies and tools to protect users from security threats, such as spam, phishing scams, and account hijacking, accounts that remain dormant for prolonged durations face a higher likelihood of compromise. This is due to the fact that forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on outdated or reused passwords that may have been compromised or lack two-factor authentication.
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Significance of the Policy Update
Recognizing the potential ramifications of compromised accounts, ranging from identity theft to facilitating the dissemination of unwanted or malicious content, such as spam, Kricheli highlighted the critical policy update:
“To mitigate this risk, we are revising our inactivity policy for Google Accounts to encompass a two-year threshold across all our products. Commencing later this year, any Google Account that remains unused or unaccessed for a minimum of two years may be subject to deletion, along with its associated content, including data stored within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar), YouTube, and Google Photos.”
Kricheli emphasized that this policy exclusively applies to personal Google Accounts and will not affect accounts linked to organisations such as schools or businesses. The policy revision serves to align Google’s retention and account deletion practices with prevailing industry standards, while also reducing the duration for which unused personal information is retained by the company. Although the policy is effective immediately, it will not promptly impact users with inactive accounts. Account deletion will commence no earlier than December 2023, employing a phased approach that targets accounts created but subsequently abandoned. Prior to deletion, Google will dispatch multiple notifications to both the account email address and the recovery email (if provided).
Sustaining Account Activity
Google emphasizes that the most straightforward method to keep a Google Account active is to sign in at least once every two years. If recent sign-ins have been performed on a Google Account or any of its associated services, the account will be deemed active and immune to deletion. Google underscores several activities that qualify as account engagement:
1. Reading or sending an email
2. Utilizing Google Drive
3. Watching YouTube videos
4. Downloading apps from the Google Play Store
5. Utilizing Google Search
6. Employing “Sign in with Google” to access third-party apps or services.
Furthermore, Google acknowledges that existing subscriptions established through a Google Account, such as Google One, news publications, or applications, contribute to account activity and safeguard accounts from being affected by the deletion process.
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