GOOGLE is about to start deleting millions of accounts – so make sure yours is safe.
A mass-cull of Google accounts will be scrubbed from the internet, along with their saved files, photos and emails.
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The aim is to remove inactive accounts that are unlikely to ever be used again.
Google says this is going to improve the safety of users – and the scheme kicks off today.
There are billions of Google accounts in existence, granting access or bonus features for beloved services like Gmail, Google Drive, Search, and YouTube.
But many of these accounts have simply fallen out of use – or were never even active in the first place.
Google says this is very bad in terms of security.
It argues that cybercriminals target these inactive accounts to use them for illegal activities.
To combat this, Google will begin deleting accounts that haven’t been used for at least two years.
And once the account is gone, it’s deleted permanently – and all of its linked data will be lost.
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Your photos, files, emails, map pins and more will vanish.
Going, gone!
Google’s policy strictly states that inactive accounts risk deletion.
But the company delayed its mass-cull until December 1, 2023 – giving users enough time to save their accounts.
It’s a bid to keep you safe from sinister online crooks.
“If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised,” Google said.
“This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, haven’t had two factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user.”
An abandoned account is 10 times less likely to have two-factory authentication – a vital security feature – according to Google.
These accounts could be hijacked for spam campaigns or identity theft.
Act fast
The good news is that not all accounts will be deleted immediately on December 1.
Google promised to take a “phased approach” with early deletions focused on accounts that were created and then never used again.
You’ll also be warned if your account is going to be sent to the great virtual trashheap.
“Before deleting an account, we will send multiple notifications over the months leading up to deletion, to both the account email address and the recovery email (if one has been provided),” Google said.
There are two main ways to save your account: sign in, or use your profile.
“The simplest way to keep a Google Account active is to sign-in at least once every 2 years,” Google said.
“If you have signed into your Google Account or any of our services recently, your account is considered active and will not be deleted.”
Alternatively you can sustain your account by:
- Reading or sending an email
- Using Google Drive
- Watching a YouTube video
- Downloading a Google Play Store app
- Using Google Search
- Using Sign In With Google for a third-party app or service
And the eighth way to save your account is simply to have an active subscription on it, like Google One.
Your account will also be protected if it has any YouTube videos uploaded.
