Google: Difference between revisions

In May 2023, Google announced that [[Inactive account deletion|deletion of inactive user accounts]] would occur starting in December 2023, citing security reasons, noting that old and unused accounts are more likely to be compromised. Google claimed that "Forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, have not had two factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user," while saying that Google "has no plans to delete [[YouTube]] videos".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lawler |first1=Richard |title=Google might delete your Gmail account if you haven't logged in for two years |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/16/23725438/google-gmail-deleting-inactive-accounts |website=The Verge |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en |date=16 May 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260205121216/https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/16/23725438/google-gmail-deleting-inactive-accounts |archive-date=5 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Porter |first1=Jon |title=Reminder: Google is about to start purging inactive accounts |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/28/23979178/google-inactive-accounts-deletion-december-2023-psa-reminder |website=The Verge |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en |date=28 November 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251212230239/https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/28/23979178/google-inactive-accounts-deletion-december-2023-psa-reminder |archive-date=12 Dec 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Amadeo |first1=Ron |title=Google's new "inactive account" policy won't delete years of YouTube videos |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/05/googles-new-inactive-account-policy-wont-delete-years-of-youtube-videos/ |website=Ars Technica |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en-us |date=17 May 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251212092014/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/05/googles-new-inactive-account-policy-wont-delete-years-of-youtube-videos/ |archive-date=12 Dec 2025}}</ref> The decision to delete inactive accounts has sparked some criticism and backlash. The cited security rationale behind such decision was ridiculed and was compared to a hypothetical scenario where a bank should be burned down if it is not secure against robbers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Novet |first1=Jordan |title=Google's plan to purge inactive accounts isn't sitting well with some users |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/19/google-faces-criticism-of-plan-to-purge-inactive-accounts.html |website=CNBC |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en |date

=19 August 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250831223936/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/19/google-faces-criticism-of-plan-to-purge-inactive-accounts.html |archive-date=31 Aug 2025}}</ref> Such policies could adversely affect those who had good reasons to become inactive for a long time, such as hospitalization, prison incarceration, and being in totalitarian countries which have prolonged internet shutdowns. Moreover, the Anonymous hacktivist collective has protested against the decision to delete inactive accounts multiple times, describing them as "harsh" and saying that the decision will "destroy history".<ref>{{cite web |date=18 July 2023 |title=Anonymous puts Taiwan flag, national anthem on 2 UN websites {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2023-07-18 09:56:00 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4946597 |access-date=21 December 2023 |website=Taiwan News}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20231014070719/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4946597 Archived])</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=18 October 2023 |title='Anonymous' hacks Chinese government site to protest Israel–Hamas war {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2023-10-18 19:03:00 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5022840 |access-date=21 December 2023 |website=Taiwan News}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20240221120716/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5022840 Archived])</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=8 December 2023 |title=Anonymous posts Taiwan flag on UN site {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2023-12-08 17:26:00 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5055454 |access-date=21 December 2023 |website=Taiwan News}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20240228035811/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5055454 Archived])</ref>

===Google device repair program restrictions===

===AI integrations in Google Search===

On may 19th, 2026, Google announced modifications for [[Google Search]] to include more AI integrations involving inclusion of [[Google Gemini]] Flash 3.5 and integration of AI agents. These changes have sparked several controversies, including for example critizicing the reliability of searching using AI because of hallucinations, inabilities of AIs to detect malicious web sites and possibilities to use AI to control results obtained on searches. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Yildrim |first=Ece |date=19 May 2026 |title=Google Search Is Dead. Welcome to the Era of the ‘Intelligent Search Box’ |url=https://gizmodo.com/google-search-is-dead-welcome-to-the-era-of-the-intelligent-search-box-2000760626 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260519204100/https://gizmodo.com/google-search-is-dead-welcome-to-the-era-of-the-intelligent-search-box-2000760626 |archive-date=2026-05-19 |access-date=21 May 2026 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reid|first=Elizabeth |date=19 May 2026 |title=A new era for AI Search |url=https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-io-2026/#powerful-ai |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260519181835/https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-io-2026/#powerful-ai |archive-date=2026-05-19 |access-date=21 May 2026 |website=Google Blog}}</ref>

==Incidents==

==References==

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