Google will start deleting THOUSANDS of Gmail accounts this year – here’s how to keep yours safe 

Google has warned that numerous Gmail users will soon be wiped from the platform in an effort to tighten security.

The tech giant announced that thousands of abandoned email accounts could be deleted from December over fears of hacking and scams.

Users relying on compromised passwords are among those being removed, in addition to those whose accounts have not been regularly audited for two years.

This also includes not setting up two-factor authentication, according to Google.

A blog post states: “People want the products and services they use online to be safe. That’s why we’ve invested in technology and tools to protect our users from security threats such as spam, phishing and account hijacking.

“Even with these protections, an account is more likely to be compromised if it has not been used for an extended period of time.

“This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or reused passwords that may have been compromised, don’t have two-factor authentication set up, and are subject to fewer security checks by the user.”

While Google’s takedown policy was announced yesterday, it won’t take effect until December of this year.

The mass takedown will follow a ‘staged approach’, starting with accounts created and never used again.

The decision comes just a week after Twitter similarly announced it would “clean up” accounts that had been inactive for several years.

Many users were confused about when this would happen and if they could access data from these accounts, as Elon Musk later said it would be “archived.”

While Musk’s goal is to “free up abandoned handles,” Google’s primary focus is protecting users from spam and account hijacking.

Accounts that have not been used or logged in for at least two years are at the highest risk of being deleted.

Personalized YouTube content is also at risk if an abandoned Gmail account is linked to it (stock image)

This is especially the case for those who rely on old or reused passwords that may have since been compromised.

Criminals can use compromised accounts for everything from identity theft to a vessel for malicious content.

Deleting these accounts will also delete all content, including those from Google Docs, Workspace, Drive, Meet, Calendar, and Photos.

YouTube content is also at risk, with many Google accounts linked to the video streaming platform.

Fortunately, before an account is deleted, Google sends numerous notifications to warn the affected user.

Emails are even sent to recovery emails provided in connection with a Gmail account.

But users can also take a number of other steps to ensure that their account is seen as active.

Signing up and simply reading or sending an email is a way to make it clear that your account is in use.

Watching a YouTube video or using Google’s Drive or Search are also other ways to do this.

Google added: “The policy only applies to personal Google accounts and does not affect accounts held by organizations such as schools or businesses.

This update aligns our policies with industry standards around account retention and deletion, and also limits the amount of time Google retains your unused personal information.

“We are going to roll this out slowly and carefully, with ample notice.”

Google now writes your emails for you, as Gmail is set up to use generative AI

Google now writes your emails for you, the tech giant has announced.

Gmail, the messaging service with more than 1.8 billion users worldwide, will use the latest generative AI to compose detailed emails with just a simple prompt.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai unveiled the latest development at his annual I/O conference, demonstrating how to draft a letter to an airline demanding a refund for a canceled flight.

The ‘Help Me Write’ feature includes details from previous emails and also gives the user the option to ‘elaborate’ – in which they will write a longer, seemingly more persuasive and emotional message.

Mr Pichai said the company used the latest generative AI – the software behind its chatbot Bard and rival ChatGPT – to “radically” reinvent all of its core products.

(File photo) Google’s Gmail service uses AI to write entire emails from just one prompt