Google to Delete Inactive Accounts Starting December 1: What You Need to Know
Date: 2023-11-25 Author: Dima Zakharov Categories: TECHNOLOGY
Place for news description: In May of this year, Google announced its plans to remove accounts that have been inactive for two years. The company has officially confirmed that the process will commence next week. According to the rules, Google cannot retain user data for accounts inactive for an extended period as they become vulnerable to hacking attempts, especially when outdated passwords are in use.
When Google Initiates Account Deletion
The significant account purge is scheduled to start in December 2023, although the exact date remains unspecified. The first to go will be accounts created but never used. Users with relatively newer accounts will have more time to take action.
How to Prevent Google from Deleting Your Account
To avoid account deletion, users who haven't accessed their account in two years or more need to simply log in via a smartphone or computer and perform any action, such as liking a YouTube video or sending an email. Once this is done, the company will not touch the profile for a minimum of two years.
So, if you have an old Google account, log in and take any action to prevent the potential loss of your profile and data across all Google services, including Google Drive, YouTube, and Google Photos.
Additional Google Changes
In addition to the account clean-up, Google has also announced that, starting December, its Chrome browser will cease support for older Android smartphones. The latest browser version will only be available on devices running Android 8.0 or a more recent OS version.
