Google is Deleting Inactive Gmail Accounts That Have Not Been Used for a Two-Year Period
Google is deleting inactive Gmail accounts. An inactive Google account is defined as one that has not been used within a two-year period. “Google reserves the right to delete an inactive Google Account,” the policy makes clear, “we may delete the account and its contents – including content within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar and Google Photos.” If you only have one Google account, then your Gmail is perfectly safe from deletion, assuming you have used it within the last two years. Here’s what Google considers activity.
- Read or send an email.
- Share a photo or watch a YouTube video while signed into the relevant Google account.
- Use Google Drive or Search.
You will be notified in advance of any inactive account deletion, giving you plenty of time to take the relevant action to protect it and its contents from the axe. These will take the form of email notifications to both the account in question and your recovery email.
It should also be made clear that the inactive account policy only applies to personal accounts and as such will not impact those accounts for organizations such as schools or businesses. “This update aligns our policy with industry standards around retention and account deletion,” Google said, “and also limits the amount of time Google retains your unused personal information.” There are some exceptions where your Google account may have a payment method associated with it for purchases.
In other Google news: Europe’s top court upheld a 2.4 billion euro ($2.65 billion) fine imposed on Google for abusing its dominant position by favoring its own shopping comparison service. The fine stems from an antitrust investigation by the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union that concluded in 2017. The Commission said at the time that Google had favored its own shopping comparison service over those of its rivals.
