Google begins the process of deleting inactive Gmail accounts

Old Gmail accounts could be deleted as soon as today, according to Google.

Google will start removing accounts that haven’t been used or signed in for at least two years. This means that emails, Google Drive, Google Docs, calendar entries, and photos will be erased from these dormant accounts.

Company Announce The move was made in May as part of an effort to protect users from security threats. Google says forgotten accounts often rely on old or reused passwords that may have been compromised. These accounts are 10 times less likely to set up 2-step verification, increasing the likelihood of identity theft and spam.

To maintain an account, users must log in to their email once every two years. Google says any of the following will also prevent account deletion: reading/sending email, using Google Drive, watching a video on YouTube, downloading an app on the Google Play Store, or using Google Search.

Google says the policy only applies to personal accounts, not to organizations like schools or companies. Accounts containing YouTube videos are also exempt.

The first accounts to be deleted will be those that were created and never used again. Affected users should have received multiple notifications to their account email and recovery email address.