Google to begin purging data of inactive accounts in December
In a recent announcement, Google stated that it will commence the deletion of data and photos from inactive accounts starting on December 1. Ruth Kricheli, Google’s vice president of product management, revealed the decision in May, emphasizing that accounts which have not been accessed in at least two years will be subject to deletion.
To prevent account purging, users must log in at least once every two years, watch YouTube videos, read emails, or use Google search while logged in. The company also sent out an email in August to remind Gmail users of the impending change and assured that there will be multiple reminders before implementation.
The move was attributed to security concerns, with Kricheli noting that abandoned accounts are ten times more vulnerable to being compromised due to the lack of 2-step verification. While the policy change has been met with criticism, particularly from former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear, who likened the deletion of old accounts to “burning the commons,” Google has clarified that it does not plan to delete any YouTube videos.
Furthermore, concerns have been raised about the inactive accounts of deceased friends and family, prompting Google to provide a way for people to request access to the accounts of their loved ones. This aligns with the proactive approach recommended by Google through its inactive account manager, as a 2019 study by University of Oxford researchers predicted that dead accounts could outnumber the living on Facebook by 2070.
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