Google is slated to kill old Gmail accounts along with the multimedia content from December 1, 2023.
DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Google, earlier this year in May, revised the terms and conditions of user online accounts and announced to delete old unused Gmail accounts starting from December 1.
Why Google wants to delete old Gmail accounts?
User privacy is one of the primary reasons for the action on unattended accounts. It has come to light that cybercriminals are coming up with ingenious ways to crack the passwords of old Gmail accounts.
Some users, particularly those in the early years of the 2010s who created Gmail accounts and later stopped using it or forgot about it, never updated to two-step authentications. These accounts are particularly vulnerable to attacks. Also, some people may have continued to use those old passwords in other online accounts and this will compromise their user privacy security.
As per the latest study, criminals once they crack such unused online accounts, can access personal photos and even financial data. They even try to impersonate the victim's identity to seek money from their friends and families online. And, if the bad actors get private sensitive photos, they try to seek ransom from victims or else release to social media platforms to harm their public image.
To thwart such cyber threats, the search engine giant later this weekend on Friday (December 1) will start killing those old Google accounts.
Which Google accounts are likely to get deleted?
Google Account that has not been used or signed into for at least two years, Google will delete the account and its contents – including those within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar) and Google Photos.
It will be conducted in a phased manner. Google has noted that it will start with those accounts that were created and never used again.
How to save old Gmail account and the content?
Users just have to log in to the account and do the following to save your Google Account from getting deleted:
1) Read or send an email on Gmail
2) Use Google Drive: Try to upload or download content from Google Drive to your device's storage
3) Try watching a video on YouTube linked to the Gmail ID
4) Download an app on the Google Play Store
5) Try doing a Google Search
6) Try using the Gmail ID account to sign in to a third-party app or any service online
If you are planning to continue to use the old Gmail account, be advised to link a recovery Gmail account and also a registered mobile number. This will give you a second chance to recover a hacked account if you forget the password in the future.
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