Security News > 2023 > July > Google warns again it will start deleting inactive accounts in December
In emails sent over the weekend, Google warned customers again that it would start deleting inactive accounts on December 1st, 2023.
Once a Google Account is deleted, the associated Gmail address will become ineligible for use in creating a new Google Account.
The rule also comes with certain exceptions, including Google Accounts with YouTube activity, holding a gift card with a monetary balance, that published apps on the Google Play store.
The company first warned customers that it changed its inactive account policies in May, when Ruth Kricheli, Google's VP for Product Management, said extended periods of inactivity might indicate that the accounts have been compromised.
"Our internal analysis shows abandoned accounts are at least 10x less likely than active accounts to have 2-step-verification set up."
Google also allows users to download their data using the Google Takeout service, and it provides a feature known as the Inactive Account Manager that helps plan what happens with the account over a specific period of inactivity.