Time to log in: Google to remove dormant accounts from December

As of December 1, 2023, Google will start deleting old, inactive Google accounts. This move, announced earlier in the year, is bound to affect Google service users, including those of Gmail and YouTube, as the company aims to clean out long-standing, neglected accounts from its servers.

Users of Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, Drive, Documents, and other Google services have until the end of November to verify if they wish to maintain access to accounts that they may have forgotten about. Google has stated that from December 1st, all inactive accounts, considered as those unattended for at least 24 months, will be deleted. To retain access and data, users simply need to log in, thereby resetting the 'neglect' counter.

The removal of inactive Google accounts is irreversible - users will no longer have access to such accounts with no means to log in thereafter. All data saved on the Drive, in the Calendar, or Gmail, will be lost. However, Google subtly stated in its rules that it merely "may" delete inactive accounts, with the process likely to be preceded by numerous notifications, even to linked auxiliary email addresses. Notably, this deletion policy applies solely to individual users. 'Corporate' or 'school' Gmail users are not affected.

Google has been disclosing its planned 'cleanup' since the start of the year, expressing a desire to gradually modify its regulations. Realistically, it's not expected that a multitude of neglected Google accounts will vanish precisely on December 1st. Instead, the company plans to progressively delete accounts, notifying users well in advance, commencing with accounts that were created but have remained unattended since their inception. However, it is crucial, in order to avert the potential deletion of important accounts and data, that users check their Google accounts before the end of November.