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That's the horrible part about it. You're spamming smileys on a Fortnite stream? No more access to your email, which you require to manage access to five dozen

That's the horrible part about it. You're spamming smileys on a Fortnite stream? No more access to your email, which you require to manage access to five dozen online services including PayPal, probably also stuff like insurance and whatnot. Considering how vital ones email account is today, it's time for laws that prevent providers from pulling stunts like this on your mail account, no matter whether it's free tier or not.

bryanrasmussen 7y ago
Not sure if there might not be a legal recourse if they ban access to your email, at least if they don't give you the possibility of downloading an archive of its contents. Because, unless they have deleted it, they have your data in that email. So, under a GDPR reasoning https://gdpr-info.eu/art-15-gdpr/ https://gdpr-info.eu/art-15-gdpr/ do you have a right to a copy of your emails even if they have blocked your account? Unless they have deleted all your data I think it would be a yes.
- lonelappde 7y ago
  Have you tried downloading your data from Google? If you have a large data set (for being a loyal user for years) and a slow (non-business-class) internet connection, the server just expires your auth token before you can complete the download.
  - bryanrasmussen 7y ago
    If it was decided you had a valid GDPR claim but Google doesn't give you a decent way to download it that's Google's problem. The question is if they have to give you your emails if they still have them. I think it would be decided they would have to. It might be worth getting ready to be blocked, get blocked, and then demand the data to set the precedent actually. But I am lazy; the virtue of a programmer, the vice of a concerned citizenry.
  - smitop 7y ago
    This has happened to me. I have been able to get it to work by retrying the download until it works, it took me three tries. If that still doesn't work, Google Takeout supports splitting the download into smaller 1 gigabyte chunks which should hopefully be downloadable fast enough. Still annoying though.
toohotatopic 7y ago
Why do you need a law if you already have all tools available to prevent a provider lock-in? Anybody can buy a domain for the price of two coffees and have full control over their email addresses. There is no excuse for being locked in by google. Even if somebody wants to use google's UI, the emails can be forwarded to google, and at the same time backed up somewhere else in case google shuts down the account. If you consider how vital one's email account is today, it's time to put down some money. *edit: Buying a domain often comes with an email service. There is no need to run a mailserver.
- atomi 7y ago
  Because the law should skew towards pragmatism. Not everyone can run an their own email server.
  - toohotatopic 7y ago
    With a domain, you don't have to run your own email server. Many providers offer the full package: domain, website, email. Having a domain and email address is as easy as: Buy the domain, log into the domain account, create an email address, done. At that moment, you have an email address with a web UI to which you can log in as easy as to any other email provider.
    - atomi 7y ago
      Right. And some regulation on email providers to provide fair recourse for banned accounts would go a long way. But I do also understand the demographics of this site and why some people here would find that unpalatable.
- jcelerier 7y ago
  > Anybody can buy a domain for the price of two coffees and have full control over their email addresses the only control you have if you go the "own mail server" route is the control on your tears when you see that your mails are rejected by every other mail server in existence because you made it in some random blacklist

bryanrasmussen 7y ago

Not sure if there might not be a legal recourse if they ban access to your email, at least if they don't give you the possibility of downloading an archive of its contents. Because, unless they have deleted it, they have your data in that email. So, under a GDPR reasoning https://gdpr-info.eu/art-15-gdpr/ https://gdpr-info.eu/art-15-gdpr/ do you have a right to a copy of your emails even if they have blocked your account? Unless they have deleted all your data I think it would be a yes.

lonelappde 7y ago
Have you tried downloading your data from Google? If you have a large data set (for being a loyal user for years) and a slow (non-business-class) internet connection, the server just expires your auth token before you can complete the download.
- bryanrasmussen 7y ago
  If it was decided you had a valid GDPR claim but Google doesn't give you a decent way to download it that's Google's problem. The question is if they have to give you your emails if they still have them. I think it would be decided they would have to. It might be worth getting ready to be blocked, get blocked, and then demand the data to set the precedent actually. But I am lazy; the virtue of a programmer, the vice of a concerned citizenry.
- smitop 7y ago
  This has happened to me. I have been able to get it to work by retrying the download until it works, it took me three tries. If that still doesn't work, Google Takeout supports splitting the download into smaller 1 gigabyte chunks which should hopefully be downloadable fast enough. Still annoying though.

toohotatopic 7y ago

Why do you need a law if you already have all tools available to prevent a provider lock-in? Anybody can buy a domain for the price of two coffees and have full control over their email addresses. There is no excuse for being locked in by google. Even if somebody wants to use google's UI, the emails can be forwarded to google, and at the same time backed up somewhere else in case google shuts down the account. If you consider how vital one's email account is today, it's time to put down some money. *edit: Buying a domain often comes with an email service. There is no need to run a mailserver.

atomi 7y ago
Because the law should skew towards pragmatism. Not everyone can run an their own email server.
- toohotatopic 7y ago
  With a domain, you don't have to run your own email server. Many providers offer the full package: domain, website, email. Having a domain and email address is as easy as: Buy the domain, log into the domain account, create an email address, done. At that moment, you have an email address with a web UI to which you can log in as easy as to any other email provider.
  - atomi 7y ago
    Right. And some regulation on email providers to provide fair recourse for banned accounts would go a long way. But I do also understand the demographics of this site and why some people here would find that unpalatable.
jcelerier 7y ago
> Anybody can buy a domain for the price of two coffees and have full control over their email addresses the only control you have if you go the "own mail server" route is the control on your tears when you see that your mails are rejected by every other mail server in existence because you made it in some random blacklist