September 13th 2024.
Google has recently announced that they will be conducting a major purge of inactive accounts. This means that any Gmail accounts that have not been used in over two years will be deleted. The company first revealed this plan in November of last year, stating that it was necessary to clean up their system and protect their users from potential security threats.
In order for an account to be considered inactive, it must not have been logged into any Google services such as Gmail or Google Photos for the past couple of years. If an account meets this criteria, the user will receive multiple warning emails before the account is permanently removed. One individual even shared with The Sun that he received a warning in January and was told his account would be deleted on September 20th if no action was taken.
Many people may be wondering why Google has decided to take this course of action. Ruth Kricheli, the VP of Product Management at Google, explained last year that inactive accounts are more likely to be compromised. By deleting these accounts, Google hopes to protect their users from potential security threats such as spam, phishing scams, and hijacked accounts.
Google has also pointed out that inactive accounts are at a higher risk of being compromised because they are often forgotten or left unattended. These accounts may have outdated or reused passwords and may not have two-factor authentication set up. Kricheli emphasized that compromised accounts can lead to serious consequences, from identity theft to the spread of unwanted or malicious content.
If you are concerned about your Gmail account being deleted, there are a few simple steps you can take to ensure its safety. If you regularly use your Google account, there is no need to worry. However, if you have multiple accounts and some of them are rarely used, they may be at risk. To prevent your account from being deleted, you can simply read or send an email in Gmail, share a photo or watch a YouTube video while signed into your Google account, or use Google Drive. As long as you do one of these things at least once a year, your account will remain active.
It is also a good idea to do a Google Account Security Check-Up if you haven't accessed your account in a while. This will ensure that all necessary security measures are in place to keep your account protected. By following these tips, you can rest assured that your Gmail account will not be deleted in the upcoming purge by Google.
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