Google will start deleting millions of Gmail, drive and photo accounts next month.

According to a blog post earlier this year by Ruth Kricheli, VP of Google’s product management,  the purge is part of a security measure to protect accounts.

“If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised. This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, haven’t had two-factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user,” Kricheli wrote. “Meaning, these accounts are often vulnerable, and once an account is compromised, it can be used for anything from identity theft to a vector for unwanted or even malicious content, like spam.”

Starting in December, Google Accounts that have been inactive for two years will be deleted – including contents within Google Workspace, such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar and Google Photos. The policy will only apply to personal Google Account and not accounts for organizations such as schools or businesses.

Deletions will take a phased approach, starting with accounts that were created and never used again. Account holders will receive multiple notifications to their email addresses.

Want to keep your account active?

The simplest way to keep your account active is to sign on – at least once every two years. If you’ve signed into your Google account, it is considered active and won’t be deleted. That activity includes signing in and:

• Reading or sending an email
• Using Google Drive
• Watching a YouTube video
• Downloading an app on the Google Play Store
• Using Google Search
• Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service

Anyone with an existing subscription set up through your Google Account is also considered to have an active account.