Google has recently made some changes to its inactive account policy. With these changes, the tech giant announced that it will begin to delete accounts that have not been active for 2 years. Two years might not seem like a long time, and indeed, some YouTube users argue that even if they haven’t uploaded content to their channels for the past two years, they have shared numerous videos in the past and their accounts should therefore not be deleted. Let’s dive into the details about Google’s policy for deleting inactive accounts.

Accounts Inactive for Two Years Will Be Deleted!

Firstly, let’s talk about what it means for an account to be deleted. A Google account contains data from numerous platforms like Gmail, Docs, Drive, YouTube, and Google Photos. Therefore, if your Google account is not active for two years, all data associated with this account will be deleted.

To illustrate the gravity of this situation, let’s consider this scenario: imagine you have a Google account that you primarily used during your university years, to receive school-related emails and to store old university photos via Google Photos. Over time, this account has accrued sentimental value and you decide to keep it for the memories it holds, even though you don’t actively use it. However, because you haven’t used this account for two years, Google will delete it along with all its contents.

Another aspect of this issue pertains to YouTube. Especially retired YouTubers, as we like to call those who haven’t used their channels for over two years, are complaining about this policy. Even though these YouTubers haven’t produced content for years, they have created numerous videos in the past which hold memories or are kept for archival purposes. It is currently unknown whether Google will delete these channels or whether these channels will be granted some form of exemption.

This decision may ultimately be an attempt by Google to clean up the internet. The internet has seen explosive growth in the past 20 years, and this growth has come with an influx of users. Today, content is consumed at a much faster rate than ever before, with platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts making content creation easier.

This has led to a constant stream of new content being uploaded to the internet, not all of which is high-quality or relevant. Some of it is based on fleeting trends while some are quite frankly absurd. Google may be aiming to clear out such content and inactive accounts seem to be the most straightforward way to do it. This approach allows Google to clean up multiple platforms at once.

So, How Can You Prevent Deletion?

If you don’t want Google to delete your account, the solution is quite simple. Open your Google account on any device and perform a few actions, like liking a YouTube video. This will activate your account, preventing it from being deleted.

What are your thoughts on Google’s policy of deleting inactive accounts? Don’t forget to share your comments with us!