Google to start deleting inactive accounts from today

Google is to start deleting accounts that have been dormant for at least two years. The purge of old accounts will begin today, December 1, starting with those that were created and never used again. Google said that this will affect only personal accounts, which means people who pay for a Google subscription will be free to leave their accounts dormant as long as they like.   

In May, the company first stated its intention to commence the deletion of inactive accounts starting in December, providing ample advance notice to users. 

Google is taking this action because it perceives such accounts as having a higher susceptibility to compromise by hackers and identity thieves. This is due to their tendency to employ outdated passwords and a significantly lower likelihood of utilizing two-factor authentication. 

Google said once an email account is purged, it is permanently deleted, so there's no way to recover it. 

The easiest method to retain an account is to log into your Google account and choose one of the following options: 

● Read or send an email. 

● Watch a YouTube video using your Gmail account. 

● Conduct a Google search while logged into your Gmail account. 

If you no longer use your Gmail account but wish to retain your data, you can preserve the files by utilizing Google Takeout. This service enables you to download a copy of all the data stored across various Google products. 

Additionally, you have the option to export your photos to an alternative photo storage service or save them directly to your computer or hard drive.