In a recent blog post, Google announced an update to its inactivity policy saying that if a Google account has not been used or signed in to for two years, the company might delete it along with all its contents. Google claims that this policy update is in the interest of user security, saying that old and unattended accounts rely on old or re-used passwords that could have been compromised. The company says that it will begin deleting accounts starting in December 2023, and that the deletion of accounts will be conducted in a phased manner, starting from the ones that were created and never used again. Why it matters: This seems to be yet another step in Google’s attempts to make devices more secure. The company has also recently announced the use of passkeys (PINs, fingerprints, etc) to log into Google accounts. Just like the introduction of passkeys, this policy update also focuses on password vulnerabilities with Google claiming that inactive accounts don’t tend to have two-factor authentication systems in place and as such, could be used for spreading spam or even committing identity theft. How effective this updated policy will be in preventing such activities is yet to be seen. Main takeaways from the announcement: What is considered an active account: Users need to sign into their account at least once every two years to keep it active. Activity on the account can include using different Google services such as Search, Google Drive, YouTube or PlayStore, to name…
