Starting December 1, Google will begin deleting inactive user accounts of its Google Workspace services (Gmail mail, Docs document creation service, Drive storage, Meet audio calling and video conferencing service, Calendar scheduler), as well as Google Photos photo hosting, writes RBC.
Inactive accounts are those that have not been used for two years, that is, in which no activity has been performed or logged in.
The company's new policy applies only to personal accounts of individuals. Business and educational accounts are not affected.
Google will gradually introduce a new policy regarding inactive accounts. The company will first notify users of possible account deletion via their backup and primary email. It will then begin to delete those accounts that were created but never used.
“Our internal analysis shows that abandoned accounts are at least ten times less likely than active accounts to use two-step verification. This means these accounts are often vulnerable, and once an account is compromised, it can be used for anything from identity theft to spreading unwanted or even malicious content such as spam,” Google previously said.
