In times like these, when disinformation and scams have found a way into practically every aspect of our culture, it’s easy to understand why you might side-eye an email warning you that your Google account is going to be deleted, because if you didn’t fall for that pyramid marketing scam that landed in your inbox last month, who’s falling for that? But if you have a Google account you haven’t logged into for the past two years, this is one message you don’t want to dismiss. Here’s why:
Back in 2023, Google changed its account inactivity policy, telling users they were going to begin deleting accounts that have been inactive for two years, taking all of the Gmail messages, photos and documents associated with the account along with it. Google defines an inactive account on its website as one that “has not been used within a 2-year period.” If you have an account that fits that description, you’ve likely received email warnings from Google to both the account email address and the recovery email.
The company says security was the driving force behind its change in policy, saying accounts that go long periods without use are more likely than those used regularly to be compromised.
“Our internal analysis shows abandoned accounts are at least 10 times less likely than active accounts to have 2-step verification set up,” Ruth Kricheli, Google’s VP of Product Management said in a 2023 blog post. “Meaning, these accounts are often vulnerable, and once an account is compromised, it can be used for anything from identity theft to a vector for unwanted or even malicious content, like spam.”
Who Should Be Worried
If your account is affiliated with a school or business, you don’t have to worry. Google’s policy only impacts personal accounts. The new policy also carves out some exceptions for accounts used to buy “a Google product, app, service or subscription that is current or ongoing” as well as accounts that “manage an active minor account with Family Link.”
What Can You Do
If you don’t want to lose your information, the best way to protect your account is to use it. Google tells users to log in, send and read emails or watch a YouTube video to show you’re still engaged.
But if you’re juggling lots of personal accounts and would rather not have to think about if and when your account could be deleted you should take the extra step to protect your files and personal information by downloading them. Google breaks down how to download your data on its website.