If you have a Google account that has not been used in the last two years, you may find it deleted as soon as December.
Google announced in May in a blog post that it was updating its inactive accounts policies. They stated that accounts that have been forgotten or un-used for an extended period of time are “likely to be compromised” and are susceptible to security threats, such as spam, phishing scams, and account hijacking.
These inactive accounts typically rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised; they receive fewer security checks by the user and do not have a two-factor authentication set up on the account.
Once an account is compromised, it can be used for identity theft or to send unwanted or malicious content like spam.
Starting in December, if a Google account has not been used or signed in to for at least two years, Google may delete the account. The deletion will also remove all associated content in that account, including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, and Google Photos.
Google stated, “The policy only applies to personal Google Accounts and will not affect accounts for organizations like schools or businesses.”
Potentially ‘detrimental’ to some small businesses
While this may seem innocuous to some and only affects individuals, to a small business, it could be detrimental, warns C7 Websites and Internet Marketing owner Celena Brown. Many small businesses were set up years ago as individual accounts, putting the business at risk of losing their Google presence.
“The Google My Business Profile is the lifeline of many local and especially small businesses whether they realize it or not,” Brown tells Now Habersham. “Google ranks local businesses and connects them with the person doing the search based on two primary factors being proximity and number of 5-star reviews.”
Brown explains that if an account is deleted, the business will lose not only their Google search presence but also their reviews. A business’ Google presence and review rating have value whether the business owner realizes it or not.
Brown advises businesses to do their due diligence.
“It would be important for businesses to check who the users are on their Google My Business profile to ensure that they have ownership and are active. Changing the address or name of a business will create the need to reverify, often with video verification. This process is increasingly challenging as of late. To avoid this, ensure that your business is listed with the correct address in other key areas online that Google connects to.”
She adds, “In relation to the upcoming culling of accounts, each business should be sure they have their account verified, up to date and in-house or with a trusted provider of internet marketing services.”
How to keep your account from being deleted
Google is phasing in its inactive account policy. The first phase will address those accounts that were initially set up but never used again.
Before any accounts are deleted, Google will send multiple notifications to the account email and a recovery email if one was provided.
There are several ways for a user not to have their account deleted. If you have signed in recently, your account is considered active.
Here are other ways to ensure your account is not deleted.
- Reading or sending an email.
- Using Google Drive.
- Watching a YouTube video.
- Downloading an app on the Google Play Store.
- Using Google Search.
- Using sign-in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service.
If the user has a subscription that comes to that account, Google will recognize that account as being active and will not delete the account.
