Google Says Some Gmail Accounts Will Be Deleted, Messages Blocked

Google has confirmed several important changes that will impact users of the Gmail email service in 2024. These changes address various issues such as account deletion and email message rejection. It is crucial for all Gmail users to familiarize themselves with these changes, understand what they entail as well as what they don’t, and what actions they may need to take in response.

Gmail Account Deletions Underway, Which Accounts Are At Risk Of Removal?

As reported by Forbes November 13, 2023, in an article that went viral and amassed more than three million views, certain Gmail accounts were to be deleted in December 2023. As part of an update to the existing inactive account policy, Google GOOG confirmed back on May 16, 2023 that personal Google accounts which have been inactive for at least two years would be deleted starting December, 2023. This means that content related to these accounts, including photos, emails, and documents would also be deleted. On January 24, I received an email from Google informing me that one such account was in the deletion queue. This was for an account that had not been used “for at least 8 months,” and gave me a deletion date of September 20. The grounds for account deletion are security-based, with older, dormant, accounts being far more likely to get compromised due to poor password protection and lack of two-factor authentication. Gmail users with dormant accounts will get sent emails warning them of when any deletion will happen.

Action Needed To Prevent Dormant Gmail Account Deletion

The action you need to take to prevent such account and data purging is simple: sign into any and all accounts that are important to you as this will give you another two years before being up for deletion again if still unused. Perhaps it’s best summed up with the phrase ‘use it or lose it’ although, remember, you only need to use the account sporadically. It’s maybe worth asking yourself if you really need any account that you haven’t used in two years though. It’s also worth noting that Google business accounts are not affected.

Google To Start Rejecting Some Incoming Email, What Do Gmail Users Need To Know?

Google is taking a stand against emails being dispatched to Gmail users by bulk senders that are not properly authenticated. Google has confirmed that, beginning “no earlier than June 2024,” enforcement measures will be imposed for incoming messages that fail to meet authentication requirements, as well as a one-click unsubscribe option.

Neil Kumaran, a group product manager responsible for Gmail security and trust at Google, posted a detailed explanation of how the new measures will help protect Gmail users from unwanted marketing emails and malware alike in October, 2023. That posting details how bulk senders, anyone sending more than 5,000 emails to Gmail addresses per day, to “authenticate their emails, allow for easy unsubscription and stay under a reported spam threshold.”

Kumaran said that in 2022, “We started requiring that emails sent to a Gmail address must have some form of authentication, and we’ve seen the number of unauthenticated messages Gmail users receive plummet by 75%.” This, in turn, led to billions of messages with malicious intent being blocked before they could even be delivered, meaning Gmail users were oblivious to them having been sent in the first place.

Action Needed To Prevent Your Gmail Emails Being Rejected If You Are A Bulk Sender

Gmail users need to do nothing more than sit back and enjoy fewer spammy emails arriving in their inboxes and a reduction in exposure to emails with malicious intent as a result. However, if you are a marketer or someone who will be designated as a bulk sender, that is sending 5,000 emails in a single day to Gmail addresses, then you need to pay attention.

“With stringent new thresholds for spam classification and opt-out requirements, many brands holding onto traditional email tactics will face delivery disruptions, lost revenue, and potential damage to the sender's reputation,” says Kate Nowrouzi, vice president of deliverability at customer communications specialist Sinch.

“Implementing authentication protocols like DMARC and optimizing traffic analytics will separate the success stories from those left behind,” Nowrouzi continues, “Adopting DMARC protects senders against malicious impersonation and ensures their emails reach their desired destination. As such, DMARC is a critical investment for customer-first brands focused on maintaining trust and deliverability in the midst of intensifying anti-spam challenges.”