LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Google plans to initiate the deletion of inactive accounts, according to its May announcement.
Accounts inactive for a specific period will face permanent deletion, erasing associated data like emails, documents, backed-up photos, and files. Google will notify affected accounts before deletion.
Under Google’s Inactive Accounts Policy, accounts unused for two years are considered inactive.
Account activity includes Google searches while signed in, email interactions, Google Drive access, signed-in YouTube views, Google Photos sharing, and Play Store downloads.
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When an account becomes inactive, Google warns that “all content and data may be deleted,” starting December 1, aligning with its earlier announcement.
These accounts may contain personal data like synced contacts, photos, Chrome bookmarks, emails, Maps history, Drive files, chat messages, Google Pay info, Play Store content, and YouTube data.
Exceptions to deletion exist, such as accounts tied to current app purchases, active subscriptions, Google account funds (e.g., gift cards), published apps/games, Family Link-managed child accounts, or bought digital items (e.g., movies, e-books).
Google pledges to notify affected users via emails to their accounts and recovery addresses.
To prevent data deletion, users can sign in, conduct Google searches, or watch YouTube videos after receiving a notification email.