Microsoft Outlook.com service agreements have a clause wherein users are required to sign-in “a minimum of every 270 days” otherwise their data may be deleted and account cancelled.
However, there is more as Microsoft has confirmed to Webwereld, a Dutch IDG publication that the account will be recycled and made available again. “…the email account is automatically queued for deletion from our servers. Then, after a total of 360 days, the email account name is made available again,” confirmed Microsoft in an emailed statement.
Failing to inadequately convey this message through its service agreement has put Microsoft under the line of fire because of privacy and security concerns. Similar was the case with Yahoo wherein there were reports that new users were getting high sensitive email addressed to the previous account holders. Information Week has an extended lowdown of such issues here.
Microsoft’s ‘hidden’ recycling policy is not limited to just Outlook.com accounts. The company has confirmed that this is the case with Live.com and Hotmail accounts as well. Privacy groups are of the opinion that this is a severe lapse on Microsoft’s side as it failed to effectively convey about its recycling policy.
Google on the other hand are a little better off, at least, when it comes to email accounts. Google doesn’t allow recycling of email addresses even if they are either deleted from their servers.
