Germany is set to see a series of changes in December 2023 including increased energy prices, more train services with price hikes, and a new CO2 emission fee for freight vehicles.
Google will start deleting Gmail accounts that have been inactive for two years from December 1, 2023, including all associated data.
As we approach December 2023, significant changes are expected to take place in Germany and in the digital world. In Germany, residents can anticipate a series of adjustments including increased energy prices reflected in utility bills, a winter schedule from Deutsche Bahn with more train services but also price hikes, and deadlines for Christmas letters and parcels. School and kindergarten holidays, New Year's Eve fireworks, a minimum wage increase in the care sector, and new information on wine labels are also part of the changes. An extension of 'brakes' on electricity and gas prices, and a new CO2 emission fee for freight vehicles are also expected.
In the digital realm, Google has announced that it will start deleting Gmail accounts that have been inactive for two years from December 1, 2023. This includes all associated data such as emails, Drive files, Photos, and Contacts. The decision is due to the increased risk of cyberattacks on older accounts, which are less likely to have two-factor authentication enabled. External services associated with an inactive Gmail account are also vulnerable. However, Google currently has no plans to remove inactive accounts that have YouTube videos. The account deletion process will be implemented in phases, with initial email notifications sent to inactive Google accounts regarding the deletion of profiles, followed by notifications to the associated recovery email addresses. Users can keep their accounts active by engaging in various activities such as reading or sending an email, using Google Drive, watching a YouTube video, sharing a photo, downloading an app from the app store, using Google Search, or using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service. The purge will begin with accounts that were created and never used again. The policy only applies to personal accounts and not those set up through work, school, or other organizations.
The account deletion process will be implemented in phases, with initial email notifications sent to inactive Google accounts regarding the deletion of profiles, followed by notifications to the associated recovery email addresses.
Users can keep their accounts active by engaging in various activities such as reading or sending an email, using Google Drive, watching a YouTube video, sharing a photo, downloading an app from the app store, using Google Search, or using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service.
The article discusses various changes expected in Germany in December 2023. These include utility bills reflecting increased energy prices, Deutsche Bahn's winter schedule with increased train services but also price hikes, deadlines for Christmas letters and parcels, school and kindergarten holidays, New Year's Eve fireworks, a minimum wage increase in the care sector, new information on wine labels, extension of 'brakes' on electricity and gas prices, a new CO2 emission fee for freight vehicles.