A few months ago, Google announced that it planned to begin deleting inactive accounts on its platform, and now the day is soon approaching. Beginning December 1st, inactive Google accounts will begin to be deleted, as this day is the “earliest a Google Account will be deleted due to this [account removal] policy” (Google). Google states that, with this new policy, they reserve “the right to delete an inactive Google Account and its activity and data if you are inactive across Google for at least two years”. Importantly, this will not be done without warning. Prior to the removal of an account, “Google will give you an opportunity to take an action in your account by:
- Sending email notifications to your Google Account
- Sending notifications to your recovery email, if any exists” (Google).
Google also states that they reserve “the right to delete data in a product if you are inactive in that product for at least two years. This is determined based on each product’s inactivity policies”, which likely includes Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, and other Google-brand applications (Google).
You can read about this new policy here.
What Makes an Account be Marked as Inactive?
While Google does not explicitly state what causes an account to become inactive, they provide a list of actions that cause a Google account to be considered in use and active (Google).
This list is as follows:
- Reading or sending an email
- Using Google Drive
- Watching a YouTube video
- Sharing a photo
- Downloading an app
- Using Google Search
- Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service
Thus, as long as a Google account holder does one of the above-mentioned activities, their account will still be considered active.
Exceptions to the Policy
Further, Google outlines some exceptions to this policy:
- Your Google Account was used to make a purchase of a Google product, app, service, or subscription that is current or ongoing.
- Your Google Account contains a gift card with a monetary balance.
- Your Google Account owns a published application or game with ongoing, active subscriptions or active financial transactions associated with them. This might be a Google Account that owns an App on the Google Play store.
- Your Google Account manages an active minor account with Family Link.
- Your Google Account has been used to purchase a digital item, for example, a book or movie.
If your Google Account meets one of the above exceptions, it is exempt from the account removal policy. In addition, it is important to note that “this policy applies to your personal Google Account. This policy doesn’t apply to any Google Account that was set up for you through your work, school, or other organization” (Google).
Reference & Further REading
Google. “Inactive Google Account Policy.” Google Account Help, Google, 2023, support.google.com/accounts/answer/12418290?hl=en.
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