Google has followed in Twitter’s footsteps by announcing its plans to delete inactive accounts across Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, YouTube, and Google Photos.
The account removal process is scheduled to begin this December 2023. Last week TechCity reported Elon Musk’s plans to remove Twitter accounts that had been left dormant for several years saying it was “important to free up abandoned handles.”
VP of Product Management at Google, Ruth Kricheli says Google is considering deleting inactive accounts to “safeguard other active accounts on the platforms, as dormant accounts are vulnerable to compromise.”
Dormant accounts by Google’s standards are those that have not been accessed within the past two years. Kricheli stated that before accounts are deleted, Google will send multiple notifications to the account’s email address and any available recovery email to ensure account owners are informed.