Google’s plan to delete inactive accounts has sparked user backlash. Users criticize unclear email warnings and suggest more effective communication methods. The policy targets stagnant accounts for security reasons but faces skepticism. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, aims for cost savings amidst lower revenue growth. Microsoft shares a similar account activity requirement. Tech industry-wide, companies focus on cost efficiency over growth. Developer Chris Beiser questions the rationale. Google clarified not deleting accounts with YouTube videos. Users express concerns through social media.
Back in May, Google had announced its intention to begin the removal of inactive accounts from December onwards, a move that raised concerns for individuals with multiple logins. Recently, Google has been sending email reminders to prompt users about the impending fate of these dormant accounts.
Critics of Google’s strategy have been vocalizing their objections.
Sabrina Meherally, CEO of the Canadian design firm Pause and Effect, expressed her frustration in a LinkedIn post last week. She highlighted how the email she received had a vague subject line, “Updating our Google Account inactivity policy,” and emphasized the importance of clear communication, especially when consequences are attached.
Meherally proposed a potentially more effective approach, suggesting a “banner on Google.com,” the widely used search engine.
It’s common for users to maintain multiple accounts for various purposes, such as using different email addresses or segregating online content. However, for Google, free account storage incurs costs. In the current year, the company has prioritized profitability.
Nevertheless, consumers find Google’s newfound assertiveness unsettling.
A Twitter user, StoneRose95, shared their disbelief by posting, “What are you doing Google,” along with a screenshot of the email notification.
This new policy doesn’t impact educational institutions or businesses utilizing Google accounts. Subscribers paying for services, like extra storage, remain unaffected. According to a 2020 blog post by Google, the standard 15GB storage allocation should suffice for 80% of account holders for three years or more.
To keep an additional account active, users only need to sign in once every two years. Google’s rationale behind the account purge is to prevent attackers from commandeering neglected accounts. The company has promised multiple notifications leading up to the deletion process.
Ruth Kricheli, a Google vice president, explained the security concerns in a post. Abandoned accounts often rely on outdated passwords, lack two-factor authentication, and receive fewer security checks. Kricheli stated that abandoned accounts are at least 10 times less likely to have 2-step verification compared to active ones.
A Google spokesperson confirmed that this policy is an unprecedented move for the company.
Microsoft follows a similar protocol. Except for specific exceptions, users must log in to their accounts at least once every two years to maintain their active status, with the company reserving the right to close accounts that don’t comply.
Unmentioned in Kricheli’s post is the cost-saving approach of Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
For the first time since its inception as a public company, Google’s revenue growth has remained below 10% for four consecutive quarters. Advertisers’ caution due to economic uncertainty and competition from platforms like TikTok have impacted Google’s revenue.
Alphabet has enacted cost-saving measures, including job cuts, hiring slowdowns, and efficiency enhancements. Finance Chief Ruth Porat framed these changes as efforts to reengineer their cost structure.
This trend of prioritizing cost efficiency over growth is prevalent across the tech sector, with companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta adopting similar strategies.
Regarding Google’s new account policy and its security rationale, developer Chris Beiser questioned the logic behind deleting old accounts that are more susceptible to hacking.
Emmett Shear, co-founder and former CEO of Amazon-owned Twitch, criticized the initial announcement, expressing concerns about the potential disappearance of old YouTube videos. However, Google swiftly clarified that it doesn’t plan to delete accounts with YouTube videos.
Stephanie Murphy, a parent, took to TikTok to express her dissatisfaction with Google’s approach to stagnant accounts. Murphy explained in a video that she used an account to send emails to her daughter, treating it like a digital journal. She voiced her concern after receiving an email from Google about the account’s fate.