Tech

Gmail And Photos Content Purge Starts In 72 Hours: Protect Your Data Now

Published

12 months ago

November 28, 2023

The countdown clock for the great inactive Google account purge is ticking. Act fast to save your old Gmail and Photos content. Here’s what you need to know and do.

11/28 updates below. This article was originally published on November 26.

With just days to go until the December 1 deadline when Google starts enforcing an updated inactive account policy, users are understandably concerned about what will happen to their content such as Gmail messages, photos and documents.

The good news is that, for the vast majority of Gmail and Photos users, their accounts will remain safe from the content deletions to come. That’s because most of the 1.8 billion Gmail users and 2 billion Google Photos users have active accounts.

In Google policy terms, they have accessed their Google accounts within the last two years. Although no statistics are available to reveal just how many inactive Google accounts there are, if the number is just 1%, that would still mean 18 million Gmail users and 20 million Google Photos users in the crosshairs. That’s a lot of messages and photos about to go to the great trashcan in the sky.

Why Is Google Deleting Gmail And Photos Content?

The official reason is that of improving security. As Ruth Kricheli, a vice president of product management at Google, said in a May 2023 update, “If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised.” This might sound like something of a stretch, but it does make sense, as older accounts are less likely to have things such as two-factor authentication running. Google itself says that it has internal data that suggests these inactive accounts are, in fact, “10x less likely than active accounts” to be using 2FA. I would advise you complete the Google Account Security Checkup when you sign into an inactive account so as to ensure it is properly protected. A compromised Google account is akin to the keys of the online kingdom for a threat actor, although the value of an abandoned account could be argued to be much less than an active one. I suspect that there are additional reasons behind the change to the inactive account policy, not least the cost of storing all that apparently unwanted data.

Take the Google Account security checkup when logging into your old account

Davey Winder/Google

11/28 update: While data from inactive Google accounts, including Google Photos and Gmail content, is likely to be deleted from December 1, other Google-held data appears to have already gone missing in action, according to some users. Google Drive users have been reporting how their data has disappeared, as their accounts appear to have been reset to a status from May 2023. Taking to the official support forum for Google Drive, users have said that their desktop Drive folder was missing six months of files and showing a structure from May.

“My Google Drive files suddenly disappeared,” one user said, “The Drive literally went back to condition in May 2023. data from May until today disappeared, and the folder structure went back to status in May.” Another reported, “We are having the exact same issues, we have a managing director that came to me and after looking it seems like end of April early May was the last time any file was modified. This user works primarily from G drive and it seems like Google was not uploading their files to the cloud but there is no way for us as IT admins to know this.”

I have contacted Google for an update on what is happening, but a statement was not available at the time of publication. However, a user called Saitej, who was flagged as a Google employee and member of the Google Drive team, has posted a response in the support forum thread. “We’re investigating reports of an issue impacting a limited subset of Drive for desktop users,” Saitej said, “and will follow up with more updates.” The same user advised against disconnecting the affected account within Google Drive for desktop or deleting the app data folder.

Another user posted to the support forum that the issue appeared to be with desktop Google Drive client not uploading data to the cloud at all and then the local profile being reset for an as-yet unknown reason. They said this “means that your local, cached, un-uploaded files are now hidden away in a backup folder.” Although the user posted a workaround that they used to recover missing data for their partner, I would stick to the advice not to touch anything until Google support has come back with an official statement.

How To Prevent Google From Deleting Your Gmail And Photos Content

So, what must you do to guarantee that your precious memories are saved from this purge? First, if your Google account is linked to an educational establishment or is a business one, it is outside of the scope of the inactive account policy and your content and data are safe. If your account includes YouTube content, then it is also safe. Everything else, however, is within scope, provided there has been no account access across the previous two years.

As I reported earlier this month, account access covers a lot of ground in terms of what will flag one as being active. “If you’ve read or sent an email using Gmail, stored something in Google Drive, downloaded an app from the Google Play Store, added a photo to Google Photos, or even performed a Google search while logged into your Google account, your precious content is safe.” Regarding Google Photos, you need to ensure you have logged into it specifically within the last two years.

Don’t Delay, Act Now

You can’t afford to sit back and assume that your content is safe just because you have not received one of the account deletion notification emails that Google sent out this year. We all know how easy it is to miss an email, even an important one like this from Google. Instead, you need to be proactive and sign into any and all Google accounts and services you use. That way, you can be sure your content will not be deleted. It’s important to note that this purging policy doesn’t apply only to Gmail and Photos; instead, it’s an account-based thing that will also catch Google Drive, Docs and Calendar data.

Google has been emailing affected users in plenty of time

Davey Winder/Google

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Tech

Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

Published

6 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.

The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.

However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”

Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.

“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.

At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.

A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”

Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.

Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.

Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.

Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.

While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.

Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.

The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.

— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

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Health

Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

Published

3 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Tech

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

Published

3 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

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