(CNN) – If you haven’t signed into your Google account in a while, now is the time to do so or you risk losing it.
Google announced Tuesday that it will begin deleting accounts that have been inactive for at least two years, in an effort the company says it seeks to avoid security risks.
The updated policy takes effect immediately, but Google said it will only start deleting accounts through December. The company plans to send several warning notices to users and implement a phased withdrawal of inactive accounts.
The first to be deleted will be accounts created that the user has not visited, according to Google. In addition, the policy will only affect personal accounts, leaving institutions such as schools and businesses untouched.
Google has explained that its decision is based on internal findings that older accounts are more likely to trust recycled passwords and less likely to use updated security measures such as two-step verification, making them more vulnerable to problems. hack Computing and spam.
The decision to remove accounts goes further than the previous policy. In 2020, Google said it will remove content from users who haven’t used it from its services, but the accounts themselves won’t go away.
In order not to lose your account, all you have to do is sign in with your Gmail account or any other Google service and read an email, watch a video, do a search or any other activity.
More Stories
The final moments of the “Halloween Comet” were captured by the SOHO spacecraft
University of Michigan scientists have discovered what’s inside a black hole
NASA shares the scariest images of the sun in the lead-up to Halloween