Google deleted millions of gmail accounts since December

In May, Google announced that it would begin deleting all Gmail accounts that have not been used for at least two years. The emails, documents, spreadsheets, calendars, photos, and videos that come with them will be permanently deleted. Before this policy was announced, Google only deleted the content stored in the account, not the account itself.

The company said it will begin deleting accounts starting in December 2023, starting with accounts that were created but never used.

In a blog post, Google Vice President of Product Management Ruth Kricheli shared that the new policy aligns with industry standards for account retention and deletion, and limits how long Google keeps unused personal information from users.

The change is intended to improve security because inactive accounts are more vulnerable to breaches. Old accounts tend to share passwords with other accounts. Passwords leaked in security breaches are easily found on the dark web. It also protects active Google users from security risks like phishing and account hijacking.

Accounts at risk of deletion will receive multiple notifications before Google takes action. The notification will also be sent to the account recovery email address, stating that the deletion is to “protect your privacy and prevent any unauthorized access to your account, even when our services are no longer available.”

Losing access to a Gmail account can also prevent people from using other online platforms and services associated with that address, even if they're not related to Google.

To avoid deletion, Google users simply need to open or send an email, use Google Drive, download an app from the Play Store, or simply search for Google while logged into their account.

One thing to note is that Google has no intention of deleting accounts that have posted YouTube videos, regardless of when they last posted them.

The policy applies to personal accounts. Accounts of organizations such as schools and businesses are not affected.