Starting from Friday December 1, 2023, Google is moving forward with its initiative to delete inactive accounts that have remained unused for a minimum of two years, a plan initially disclosed in May.
The company’s rationale behind this move is to mitigate security risks associated with older accounts, which are more prone to relying on reused passwords and lack updated security measures like two-step verification.
These vulnerabilities make them susceptible to threats such as phishing, hacking, and spam.
Since August, Google has been issuing warnings to impacted users, sending multiple alerts to their accounts and provided backup emails.
The deletion process will initially target accounts created but never revisited by the users, following a phased approach outlined in May to prioritize these inactive accounts.
The goal is to safeguard users’ private information and prevent unauthorized access, even if the services are no longer actively used.
Google’s suite of services, encompassing Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Photos among others, implies that all content stored within an inactive user’s Google account is at risk of deletion.
However, there are exceptions to this deletion policy.
Accounts linked to YouTube channels, those with remaining balances on gift cards, used for purchasing digital items, or have published active apps on platforms like the Google Play store, are exempted from deletion, as stated by Google in August.
This move by Google, going beyond their previous policy, aligns with a heightened focus on security.
Deleting old accounts, as per Oren Koren, CPO and Co-founder of cybersecurity firm Veriti, helps reduce the potential risks associated with these dormant accounts, forcing hackers to create new accounts requiring phone number verification.
Additionally, erasing older data minimizes the likelihood of leaked information from previous data breaches.
Koren emphasizes that Google’s proactive action aligns with the broader trend in cybersecurity, reinforcing digital security landscapes by taking preemptive measures.
To retain an account, users simply need to log in or engage with any Google service at least once every two years, such as reading an email, watching a video, or conducting a search.
Source-CNN
