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A Google Account Purge Is Coming. Will You Be Affected?
In an email and blog post titled, “Updating our inactive account policies,” Google has warned users of the upcoming deletion of inactive accounts.
Google has revealed plans to delete any dormant accounts that haven’t been used over the past two years, starting on December 1st. All messages, photos, and other data will also be wiped during the upcoming purge.
Google’s vice president of product management, Ruth Kricheli, wrote in a blog post that the company is updating its inactivity policy for Google (and Google Workspace) accounts that have not been used or signed into for at least two years, explaining that all content contained in Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, and Google Photos will also be axed — though business and school accounts will be unaffected.
“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 says in the blog post. “Our internal analysis shows abandoned accounts are at least 10x less likely than active accounts to have 2-step verification set up. 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”.
Also Read: You Can Now Delete Threads And Keep Your Instagram Account
There are now 1.8 billion active Google account users worldwide, so the upcoming purge could lead to millions of deleted Gmail addresses. Unfortunately, if you expect to find it easier to grab a catchy new address, think again. The company will not release purged Gmail handles back into circulation due to fears they could be used to impersonate their old owners.
Should you be worried about Google’s December 1st plans? You’ll be completely fine if you’ve logged in to a Google account during the last 2 years. However, if you’re paranoid about an old account getting wiped, you should login and send yourself an email for extra peace of mind.
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Influencer Growth Fuels Saudi Creator Economy Surge
The Kingdom’s creator economy grew over 32% in Q1 2025, fueled by TikTok, UGC, and cost-per-action (CPA) influencer models.
Saudi Arabia’s creator economy saw a significant 32.37% growth in the first quarter of 2025, driven by an uptick in influencer marketing, content-driven e-commerce, and the increasing influence of user-generated content (UGC). These insights come from a recent study by Admitad and the Stllr Network.
Much of this momentum is coming from video-based platforms, where brands are leaning on creators who feel more relatable than polished ad campaigns. The trend shows a clear preference for authenticity, as audiences gravitate toward content that feels real and personal.
Mohannad Alzahrani, Co-founder and VP KSA of Stllr Network, highlighted the shift: “The rise of user-generated content (UGC) is changing the way brands engage with consumers. Audiences trust real creators more than traditional advertising, making UGC a key driver of authenticity and sales”.
TikTok remains the dominant platform in this space, reportedly reaching 88% of the Saudi population. It also showed the sharpest rise in influencer-led transactions. Other platforms followed with solid, if less dramatic, growth: X was up 17%, Instagram increased by 12%, and Telegram by 10%.
In terms of content niches, beauty led the pack with a 56% growth rate, followed by lifestyle at 45.8% and fashion at 18.2%. Tech content also showed healthy traction at 10.6%, while entertainment, food, fitness, parenting, and gaming posted smaller — but still positive — gains.
Also Read: Top E-Commerce Websites In The Middle East In 2025
The report analyzed more than 300,000 influencer-driven purchases. These efforts translated into a 15% year-on-year jump in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and a 5% increase in the number of orders in 2024. Influencers themselves are seeing the benefit, with average order values hitting $54 and creator earnings rising by 14%.
A noticeable trend is the move away from fixed-rate deals. More influencers in Saudi Arabia are embracing hybrid compensation models — especially cost-per-action (CPA) setups that tie their earnings directly to performance.
As Anna Gidirim, CEO of Admitad, explains, “The CPA model brings much-needed transparency to influencer marketing. Brands only pay for actual results, and influencers benefit by securing long-term partnerships while offering their audiences exclusive promo codes and special discounts”.
However, the ecosystem still shows a gender imbalance. The data indicates that 63% of creators in Saudi Arabia are men, while women account for just 37%.
Influencer Growth Fuels Saudi Creator Economy Surge
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