PSA: Google will be deleting inactive google accounts together with all data on them starting December 1, 2023
cross-posted from: https://lemdro.id/post/74867
Inactive Google Account Policy
A Google Account gives you Google-wide access to most Google products, such as Google Ads, Gmail, and YouTube, using the same username and password.
An inactive Google Account is an account that has not been used within a 2-year period. Google reserves the right to delete an inactive Google Account and its activity and data if you are inactive across Google for at least two years.
Google also reserves 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.
How Google defines activity
A Google Account that is in use is considered active. Activity might include these actions you take when you sign in or while you’re signed in to your Google Account:
- 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
Google Account activity is demonstrated by account and not by device. You can take actions on any surface where you’re signed in to your Google Account, for example, on your phone.
If you have more than one Google Account set up on your device, you’ll want to make sure each account is used within a 2-year period.
What happens when your Google Account is inactive
When your Google Account has not been used within a 2-year period, your Google Account, that is then deemed inactive, and all of its content and data may be deleted. Before this happens, 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 products reserve the right to delete your data when your account has not been used within that product for a 2-year period.
December 1, 2023 is the earliest a Google Account will be deleted due to this policy.
Will that free up email addresses? 🤔
I've read somewhere that once Gmail address is created, it is not reused - even when account is deleted.
That's sensible
@84615_on_resu @erre Does Google actually ever "delete" an account? Or do they just make it unavailable to the user? I have a feeling Google can still access a deleted account if necessary for their purposes...JMO.
I wouldn't be surprised if that would be exactly what they do.
Mark as deleted and then delete in a big wave would be the usual database way. For example discord deletes messages like that. But as is the data is probably never lost with backups and such
I hope so
It would be good in theory, but it's a really bad idea because if that Gmail address is associated to some other sites, then the new owner can basically take control of all the sites the Gmail address was used in.
you can delete an account but still mark the old email as "in use" internally in their database
actually I would be surprised if they didn't do that in the EU if someones requests a deletion on behalf of the GDPR
That's what I'm hoping for actually. I have an email with forwarding set up but the backup is to another email I don't have access to. I want to make a new account with my own old email. I know it's probably a bad idea.
Oh damn, I probably have a couple accounts that just sit idle but have some info on them. I should get to it.
It's a good reminder that I should probably consolidate mine. But in doing so, there also won't be as much stopping me from migrating it all over to another service (my Google Workspace also pricing recently increased).
Hmm. This inactivity deletion kind of sucks. Many people may not realise it and get some of their accounts deleted. Also, people tell that you shouldn't be using Google services but what actually are great alternatives to Gmail? I know you can self host an email server, but I would prefer not to.
protonmail has an easy transferring option
Reminds me of those orkut/facebook/whatsapp forwards that said <insert company> is planning on deleting accounts that don't forward this message. Fun to see that actually happening. 2 years is a very short period of time for deleting.
There's probably a wave of spam coming soon, that says something like "Google will delete your account for inactivity, unless you log in here (insert bogus site)!"
With this news out in the world a lot of people will lower their guard, afraid of losing their valuable Google account.
Google is probably positioned pretty well to block those.
They can defer delivery of suspicious stuff using heuristics, and then review them before delivery.
It'd be an issue if Google also wasn't the email provider. Like, for many other services, I'd agree.
Enter your phone number to confirm you are not inactive
Should be interesting all those users like myself that use Newpipe to access YouTube.
I've got content on my YT account and I've actually watched a video via my Chromecast/Official YT app recently, it's something to be aware of I suppose.
Great time to start degoogling
Got my 10TB NAS stood up, just got encrypted cloud backups working on B2. Next thing to do is set up Nextcloud and I think I'll be good. Also use proton for mail, VPN, and personal cloud storage.
Dang, considering i made a few accounts and then forgot the ID to them... Wouldn't mind tbh.