Google’s Massive Cleanup: Millions of Gmail Accounts Set for Deletion in the Coming Month – Unveiling the Reasons

Millions of Gmail accounts are at risk of being deleted next month as part of Google’s efforts to deactivate inactive accounts. The company announced in a blog post that starting from December, accounts that have not been used or signed into for at least two years may be deleted, along with their contents in Google Workspace and Google Photos.

The decision is aimed at enhancing security as forgotten or unattended accounts often have outdated or reused passwords that may have been compromised. These accounts also tend to lack two-factor authentication and receive fewer security checks from users, making them vulnerable to various risks such as identity theft and spam.

It’s important to note that this policy only applies to personal Google accounts and will not affect accounts associated with organizations like schools or businesses. To keep an account active, users can engage in activities such as reading or sending emails, using Google Drive, watching YouTube videos, downloading apps from the Google Play Store, using Google Search, or signing in to third-party apps or services with Google Sign-in.

If a user has an active subscription linked to their Google Account, such as Google One or a news publication, their account activity will be taken into consideration, and their account will remain unaffected. Additionally, Google has clarified that it currently has no plans to delete accounts associated with YouTube videos.

It is essential for Gmail users who don’t regularly use their accounts to take action and ensure their accounts remain active to avoid being affected by this deletion process.