While Google’s updated policy is already in effect, the actual removal of accounts is scheduled to begin in December of this year. The company plans to send repeated alerts to users before the phased removal process begins.

Which accounts will be deleted

First of all, these measures will target accounts that have been created but that users cannot access. It’s important to note that this policy only applies to personal accounts, with organizations from educational institutions to businesses exempt from account deletion.

Why did the company decide to delete inactive records?

Google justifies this decision, citing internal research showing that old accounts are more likely to use weak passwords that are also used by other profiles. Additionally, inactive accounts often do not enable additional security measures such as two-factor authentication, making them more vulnerable to unauthorized access.

This latest initiative is a logical continuation of Google’s previous policy in 2020 aimed at removing unused accounts without actually deleting them.

What you need to do to prevent your account from being deleted

Simply use it. However, if you have an old backup account that you don’t use often, you’ll need to sign in to either the account itself or other Google services associated with it to save it.

Google has made a few changes to its account policy. A few years ago, there were reports that YouTube might delete nonprofit accounts.