What are dumb reasons that Google will ban you for?
from Bea@lemmy.ca to degoogle@lemmy.ml on 19 Sep 08:25
https://lemmy.ca/post/51878818

cross-posted from: lemmy.ca/post/51878816

If we want to argue that Degoogling isn’t just about privacy, but about protecting your digital life from being shut down at the whim of a tech giant with no real appeal process, what are some examples showing why we shouldn’t ignore the risk of Google banning users, locking them out of countless accounts, and deleting photos, emails, and records that often lack backups?

Some examples that I personally know of:

  • Being mass reported in YouTube comments for expressing a controversial opinion
  • Filing a copyright claim, only for a creator to appeal it, and failing to provide ownership proof within 48 hours
  • Having your Google account hacked and used for fake ads or Play purchases, then being told the charges are “legitimate,” and facing a ban if you dispute them
  • Having your $1000 Google store purchase lost in transit, then being told that you’re not getting a refund and if you try to chargeback, you’ll be banned.
  • Failing to provide a picture of a credit card for a Google store order flagged for fraud within 72 hours.

#degoogle

threaded - newest

tias@discuss.tchncs.de on 19 Sep 12:43 next collapse

  • Developing an Android app that doesn’t pass review
rozodru@piefed.social on 19 Sep 13:00 next collapse

  • using your google account on too many different “machines” i.e. you distro hop or reinstall your os or use a different browser or use a vpn.

  • being unable to verify your account because the only method to do so is on a phone that is broken.

  • using an voip number to verify your account

RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works on 19 Sep 13:00 next collapse

I copied this from my post in the Degoogle Canada community

Examples of Google shutting down accounts on a whim:

timesnownews.com/…/dad-took-photos-of-his-son-for…

businessinsider.com/google-users-locked-out-after…

This one may be justified, even the owner of the account isn’t sure …elpais.com/…/google-closed-my-account-over-sexua…

The play store is unsafe - thehackernews.com/…/over-dozen-android-apps-on-go…

mesamunefire@piefed.social on 19 Sep 16:59 next collapse

Try putting “starting a Union” pdfs into a google drive. No really, try it.

reagansrottencorpse@lemmy.ml on 19 Sep 21:57 next collapse

I’m at work, what happens? Does it not let you?

mesamunefire@piefed.social on 19 Sep 22:04 collapse

Last time I tried a WHILE back, it blocked access to the google drive and would not let you share it with anyone. Then my account was locked.

But normal pdfs were perfectly fine when we tested it.

MachineFab812@discuss.tchncs.de on 19 Sep 22:41 collapse

Weirdly, ebooks are one of the few things I’ve kept backed-up to Drive, media-wise. Some of the larger categories in my collection are the works of Marx, Engels, and just stuff about Socialism and Communism in-general.

Maybe they assume I’m just harmless crank, since I’ve also got anything I could find related to the PoleShift Survival Guide?

One thing I actively made sure to keep away from Google was all the stuff I grabbed from DEFCAD/Defense Distributed. That would almost certainly cause a ban.

nothingcorporate@lemmy.today on 19 Sep 18:50 next collapse

Youtube told me it would ban me if I kept using an adblocker. So I deleted all my google cookies, used the adblocker to block the popup that whines about adblockers and use the PocketTube browser extension to keep track of all my subscriptions.

Because fuck 'em, that’s why.

DieserTypMatthias@lemmy.ml on 19 Sep 19:46 next collapse

Making fun of 9/11.

eldavi@lemmy.ml on 19 Sep 21:36 next collapse

i’ve been trying to de-google myself for almost a decade now because; them blocking me would be doing me a favor as it would force me to give up those things that have me stuck in their ecosystem

paequ2@lemmy.today on 29 Sep 21:13 collapse

I got permanently locked out of my newish Gmail account because I started using mutt as my email client.