Google to delete inactive accounts starting from December

SAN FRANCISCO - Alphabet’s Google on Tuesday said it would delete accounts that have remained unused for two years starting from December, in a bid to prevent security threats including hacks.

The company said that if a Google account has not been used or signed in to for at least two years, it might delete the account and content across Google Workspace, which includes Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet and Calendar, as well as YouTube and Google Photos.

The policy change applies only to personal Google accounts and not to those for organisations such as schools or businesses.

In 2020, Google said it would remove content stored in an inactive account, but not delete the account itself.

Starting from Tuesday, Google will send multiple notifications to the account e-mail address and recovery mail of the inactive accounts before deletion.

Last week, billionaire Elon Musk said Twitter would r

emove accounts that have been inactive

for several years and archive them, saying that the action is “important to free up abandoned handles”. REUTERS