4 ms·

A few things come to mind, all under the theme of "lighting a fire under their ass". First, I'd contact your state attorney general's office. See this link to

A few things come to mind, all under the theme of "lighting a fire under their ass". First, I'd contact your state attorney general's office. See this link to usa.gov for a contact database: https://www.usa.gov/state-attorney-general https://www.usa.gov/state-attorney-general || https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/ https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/ Next, contact your representative in the House and both your Senators: https://www.house.gov/representatives https://www.house.gov/representatives && https://www.senate.gov/states/statesmap.htm https://www.senate.gov/states/statesmap.htm Then I'd reach out to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) with a formal complaint: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov https://reportfraud.ftc.gov Filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau might prompt some movement, even though AFAIK they have no real power over anything, but reputation damage may be threat enough to get them to play ball: https://www.bbb.org/file-a-complaint https://www.bbb.org/file-a-complaint And for "the big one": reach out to journalists in the tech industry. Posting here at HN is a good first step, but I'd tell every tech journalist who's got ears (or eyes) what's going on and see how many of them pick it up. Hopefully enough to cause some real damage (because, sadly, they've made it clear that's what it'll take to get them to stop holding you hostage). Finally, contacting an attorney for at least an initial consult can't hurt. See americanbar.org for a list of attorneys admitted to the bar for your state: https://www.americanbar.org/directories/bar-associations/ https://www.americanbar.org/directories/bar-associations/ I don't envy you, and I'll very likely never use Notion now that I've heard about this. How can anyone trust them when they literally hold their own customers hostage, ally the while lying about why they're doing it?

hodgesrm 5y ago
Wouldn't it be less effort to figure out how to migrate off? Not every product works for everyone. It sounds as if you want to unleash the Spanish Inquisition.
- MrWiffles 5y ago
  > Wouldn't it be less effort to figure out how to migrate off? You can't migrate data you don't have and can't get. > It sounds as if you want to unleash the Spanish Inquisition. Forcing a company to face civil consequences and bad PR hardly compares with an institutionalized, brutal assault on human rights that tortured and murdered ~3000 people over three centuries, some by being burned alive. It DOES, however, bear at least a chance of the OP getting their own property (data) back from the hostage taker. Most importantly, by creating consequences for malicious action, the OP has a good chance (if successful) of PROTECTING FUTURE VICTIMS. When you're being attacked, you don't just lay back and take it because it's easier. You hit back, because otherwise the bad guy is going to do the same - or worse - to somebody else, next. “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, 1867

hodgesrm 5y ago

Wouldn't it be less effort to figure out how to migrate off? Not every product works for everyone. It sounds as if you want to unleash the Spanish Inquisition.

MrWiffles 5y ago
> Wouldn't it be less effort to figure out how to migrate off? You can't migrate data you don't have and can't get. > It sounds as if you want to unleash the Spanish Inquisition. Forcing a company to face civil consequences and bad PR hardly compares with an institutionalized, brutal assault on human rights that tortured and murdered ~3000 people over three centuries, some by being burned alive. It DOES, however, bear at least a chance of the OP getting their own property (data) back from the hostage taker. Most importantly, by creating consequences for malicious action, the OP has a good chance (if successful) of PROTECTING FUTURE VICTIMS. When you're being attacked, you don't just lay back and take it because it's easier. You hit back, because otherwise the bad guy is going to do the same - or worse - to somebody else, next. “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” - John Stuart Mill, 1867