Proton Mail: Difference between revisions

In response, ProtonMail added an exemption, where the inactive account policy would not apply to any accounts that had premium subscriptions, <ref>{{Cite web |title=Update to our inactive account policy |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/uca15y/update_to_our_inactive_account_policy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250402195858/https://old.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/uca15y/update_to_our_inactive_account_policy/ |archive-date=2 Apr 2025|access-date=2025-11-20 |website=Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ashwin |first= |date=2022-04-27 |title=ProtonMail will not delete user accounts for inactivity if the user had paid for a subscription at any point |url=https://www.ghacks.net/2022/04/27/protonmail-will-not-delete-inactive-user-accounts-for-former-premium-subscribers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250316094922/https://www.ghacks.net/2022/04/27/protonmail-will-not-delete-inactive-user-accounts-for-former-premium-subscribers/ |archive-date=16 Mar 2025|access-date=2025-11-20 |website=ghacks.net}}</ref> although the exemption was revoked as of 2024.{{CitationNeeded|reason=any official announcements?}} <!-- This change is visible in the support article though. before : https://archive.ph/H3jjI | after : https://archive.ph/BEEuw --> ProtonMail accounts created before April 9, 2024, have a two-year grace period before being subject to the policy, as opposed to one year for newer accounts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Inactive Accounts |url=https://proton.me/support/inactive-accounts |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260131180800/https://proton.me/support/inactive-accounts |archive-date=31 Jan 2026|access-date=2025-11-20 |website=Proton}}</ref> In some cases, users have reported success in recovering their inactive accounts after being locked under the policy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Account is no longer available due to inactivity |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/1i7gbd7/account_is_no_longer_available_due_to_inactivity/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222223819/https://old.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/1i7gbd7/account_is_no_longer_available_due_to_inactivity/ |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-11-20 |website=Reddit}}</ref>

The Proton team has stated on Reddit that the inactive account policy aims to "manage their resources in a sustainable way". In the comments, it was noted that retaining the accounts themselves indefinitely and only purging their contents would not noticeably increase operating costs compared to deleting entire accounts, given that login information is all that would have to be retained. ProtonMail also does not allow registering email accounts with the same address as deleted email accounts to prevent impersonation, which would be possible only because it retains the deleted email addresses in its records.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-09 |title=Proton's New Policy for Free Inactive Accounts |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/1bzt1ka/protons_new_policy_for_free_inactive_accounts/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250128155913/https://old.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/1bzt1ka/protons_new_policy_for_free_inactive_accounts/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025|access-date=2025-11-20 |website=Reddit}}</ref> <!-- "would only be possible / is only possible" is strong language, needs rewording. also is there an "unless...?" on this justification -->