Back in May, Google an update to its inactivity policy for Google Accounts. Starting in December 2023, personal Google Accounts that have been inactive for at least two years may be deleted, along with their contents in services like Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, and Google Photos. This policy does not apply to accounts associated with organizations such as schools or businesses.
Implementation of this policy will be gradual, and Google will prioritize accounts that were created and never used again. Account holders will receive multiple notifications before any deletion occurs, providing opportunities to reactivate their accounts.
To keep an account active, users must sign in at least once every two years. Activities like reading or sending emails, using Google Drive, watching YouTube videos, or using Google Search contribute to account activity. Accounts with active Google subscriptions or YouTube videos are currently exempt from this policy.
This is just a heads-up, mostly because "login to the Gmail accounts you want to keep " popped up on my to-do list this morning. Now, if you could just remember all those cryptic, very strong passwords… Happy Friday.
ABOUT SHELLY PALMER
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named he covers tech and business for , is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular . He's a , and the creator of the popular, free online course, . Follow or visit .
