Tech giant Google has been sending out emails to its users, notifying them of its decision to commence the deletion of accounts that have remained inactive for over two years, starting from December 2023. This announcement has stirred controversy and raised concerns among users who fear losing access to their data and services, particularly YouTube.Google asserts that this new policy is aimed at enhancing security and thwarting potential cyber attackers from exploiting abandoned accounts. However, a recent report by the news outlet CNBC revealed that many users remain sceptical about this explanation, criticising Google for its perceived ambiguity, aggressive approach, and lack of transparency.Sabrina Meherally, CEO of Canadian design firm Pause and Effect, took to LinkedIn to share her experience, revealing that she had received an email with the subject line “Updating our Google Account inactivity policy.” She said that such vague subject lines could result in users inadvertently missing or deleting these crucial notifications. She proposed that Google should consider using prominent banners on its search engine to ensure that users are properly informed.The frustration is echoed by developer Chris Beiser, who took to the social media platform X to question Googles rationale.“Old accounts are more likely to be hacked, so we will delete the accounts Like saying if a bank is not secure we should burn all its money before a bank robber can rob it. This article feels really disingenuous,” Beiser wrote.Also whats up with the logic in this announcement. Old accounts are more likely to be hacked, so we will delete the accountsLike saying if a bank is not secure we should burn all its money before a bank robber can rob it. This article feels really disingenuous.— jordwalke (@jordwalke) May 17, 2023Emmett Shear, co-founder and former CEO of the Amazon-owned video streaming service Twitch, also expressed concerns about the potential loss of old YouTube videos due to this policy.Responding to these worries, Google later updated its blog post, clarifying that accounts containing YouTube videos would not be deleted at this time.Google deleting accounts to save costs amid layoffs, economic downturnGoogle said that users will receive multiple notifications before their accounts are deleted. Additionally, users will have the option to keep their accounts active or download their data. The policy will not impact accounts used by educational institutions or businesses, nor will it affect paying subscribers availing services like additional storage. Google is confident that the standard 15GB storage allocation should suffice for around three years or more for 80% of account holders, as highlighted in its blog post.Beyond the stated reasons for this account deletion policy, there are speculations about Googles motivation being linked to its drive for efficiency amid the ongoing economic downturn. Google is among the companies that have undertaken significant layoffs to cut operational costs. Accounts consuming less than 15GB of storage are an expense for Google, and it appears that the company is taking measures to optimise its server resources.To avoid falling victim to this account deletion policy, users need to log in at least once every two years to ensure the retention of their accounts and data.
