"Log In": Google to Delete Millions of Gmail, YouTube Accounts, including Photos and Contents
- Google plans to delete millions of inactive accounts across its platforms, including Gmail, Meet, Calendar and YouTube
- The accounts deactivation will begin in December 2023 and target accounts that have not been used or signed into for at least two years
- Gmail is the most used email service provider, with more than 1.8 billion users globally but not all are active
Google has revealed its intention to delete millions of inactive accounts across its popular platforms, including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, YouTube, and Google Photos.
The company's Vice President of Product Management, Ruth Kricheli, stated that the accounts deletion will commence from December 2023.
Source: UGC
How the account deleting will work
The tech giant explained that any account that has not been used or signed into for a period of at least two years will be deleted, along with its contents.
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This includes Gmail messages, Calendar events, Drive files, Docs, Workspace files, and Google Photos backups.
Also, the email addresses associated with the deleted accounts will become inaccessible.
However, Google clarified that it has no plans to delete accounts with YouTube videos, acknowledging that certain old and abandoned clips might hold historical relevance.
Google account priorities
Google said its first focus will be deleting created accounts that have never been used again.
The company, in the statement, also assured users that it would proceed slowly and carefully with the accounts deletion.
Prior to removing an account, Google will send multiple notifications over the months leading up to the deletion, delivering them to both the account email address and the recovery email if one was provided.
How to prevent your google account from being deleted
Performing these activities periodically will help maintain account activity and ensure it doesn't get deleted.
- Reading or sending emails
- Using Google Drive
- Watching YouTube videos
- Downloading apps from the Google Play Store
- Using Google Search
- Signing in to third-party apps or services using "Sign in with Google"
- Using a signed-in Android device
Google accounts that will not be affected
Google promised that the changes only apply to free Google accounts and do not impact accounts managed by businesses or schools.
It also advised that users of Google Photos only need to sign in and use the service within a two-year period to be considered active
Similarly, the deletion process will not affect accounts with active Play Store subscriptions, such as Google One or third-party apps.
Facebook also wants users to pay to be verified
In another development, Legit.ng reported that Mark Zuckerberg had taken a page from Elon Musk's playbook and announced plans to charge users for verification.
Zuckerberg explained that users signing up for Meta's new systems would receive exclusive stickers for stories, reels, 100 free monthly stars, or the digital currency used to tip Facebook creators.
Dailymail reports that the verification will cost $11.99/month on the web and $14.99/month on iOS.
Source: Legit.ng
