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> I'm pretty reticent to rush to regulation, but I really don't know what other solution is even possible here. Before rushing to assume regulation is necessar

> I'm pretty reticent to rush to regulation, but I really don't know what other solution is even possible here. Before rushing to assume regulation is necessary, we should question if this story is real at all. It has a lot of signs of being a creative writing exercise like the conflicting details about all of their accounts being banned, including recovery emails, but then later they received an email explaining the reason for the ban. How did they receive that email?

adrianN 7mo ago
Even if it is fiction it is certainly possible for Google to get people into serious trouble by blocking their accounts.
- Aurornis 7mo ago
  Then let’s discuss those real stories, not someone’s Reddit fake posts with crucial details that make it a very different story (all linked accounts got banned)
troad 7mo ago
> but then later they received an email explaining the reason for the ban Presumably this was in response to an appeal, which would have required an email, which would obviously have been a non-Google email given the wider context? I'm not seeing the inconsistency.
- Aurornis 7mo ago
  I think you’re stretching. You can’t just send an email to Google from a new email address claiming you were associated with an unrelated Google account and then receive information about that account.
  - troad 7mo ago
    Who said it's a new email? Most people have preexisting alternative emails - work emails, college emails, etc. I personally have a non-Google email in the recovery email list, and I don't think that's uncommon. They also have access to easy means of verification - phone numbers that are linked to the account, etc. Hell, you could just call Google from your own Google Fi number, just as one example. I think you're hanging your hat on a pretty absurd theory, whereby it becomes factually impossible to contact Google ever again if they freeze your email, and it's prima facie evidence that you're lying if you claim to have done so.
    - Aurornis 7mo ago
      > Who said it's a new email? The person who posted the story did! Their comments had a whole second plot line about how all of their email accounts were closed so they had to create a ProtonMail account to sign up for new websites but websites weren’t accepting it: > My daughter was having a breakdown in Scotland because her dissertation is due in 7 weeks. I tried to book a flight to see her and realised I couldn't do that without an email address. > I had to create a Proton Mail account and almost no websites believe that it's genuine and block me from signing up. Another inconsistency is that Protonmail actually locks new accounts that immediately try to sign up for popular external services, which is something they would have discovered if they tried what they said. I know you’re desperate for reasons to believe the deleted Reddit story and discredit me, but you’re the one coming up with explanations that disagree with the story posted. I’m using the information the person claimed, not my own assumptions
      - troad 7mo ago
        > I know you’re desperate for reasons to believe the deleted Reddit story and discredit me, but you’re the one coming up with explanations that disagree with the story posted I honestly don't even know who you are, or really care about your credibility at all, so I can't imagine why I'd want to 'discredit you'. If you're confident in your take, that's great!
mcv 7mo ago
The issue isn't whether it's true, but whether it's plausible. Could someone lose access to everything because of something like this? Obviously it's stupid to keep all your data in one place, but lots of people do it, and when that one place can shut you down and basically ruin your life, that's a serious concern.

adrianN 7mo ago

Even if it is fiction it is certainly possible for Google to get people into serious trouble by blocking their accounts.

Aurornis 7mo ago
Then let’s discuss those real stories, not someone’s Reddit fake posts with crucial details that make it a very different story (all linked accounts got banned)

troad 7mo ago

> but then later they received an email explaining the reason for the ban Presumably this was in response to an appeal, which would have required an email, which would obviously have been a non-Google email given the wider context? I'm not seeing the inconsistency.

Aurornis 7mo ago
I think you’re stretching. You can’t just send an email to Google from a new email address claiming you were associated with an unrelated Google account and then receive information about that account.
- troad 7mo ago
  Who said it's a new email? Most people have preexisting alternative emails - work emails, college emails, etc. I personally have a non-Google email in the recovery email list, and I don't think that's uncommon. They also have access to easy means of verification - phone numbers that are linked to the account, etc. Hell, you could just call Google from your own Google Fi number, just as one example. I think you're hanging your hat on a pretty absurd theory, whereby it becomes factually impossible to contact Google ever again if they freeze your email, and it's prima facie evidence that you're lying if you claim to have done so.
  - Aurornis 7mo ago
    > Who said it's a new email? The person who posted the story did! Their comments had a whole second plot line about how all of their email accounts were closed so they had to create a ProtonMail account to sign up for new websites but websites weren’t accepting it: > My daughter was having a breakdown in Scotland because her dissertation is due in 7 weeks. I tried to book a flight to see her and realised I couldn't do that without an email address. > I had to create a Proton Mail account and almost no websites believe that it's genuine and block me from signing up. Another inconsistency is that Protonmail actually locks new accounts that immediately try to sign up for popular external services, which is something they would have discovered if they tried what they said. I know you’re desperate for reasons to believe the deleted Reddit story and discredit me, but you’re the one coming up with explanations that disagree with the story posted. I’m using the information the person claimed, not my own assumptions
    - troad 7mo ago
      > I know you’re desperate for reasons to believe the deleted Reddit story and discredit me, but you’re the one coming up with explanations that disagree with the story posted I honestly don't even know who you are, or really care about your credibility at all, so I can't imagine why I'd want to 'discredit you'. If you're confident in your take, that's great!

mcv 7mo ago

The issue isn't whether it's true, but whether it's plausible. Could someone lose access to everything because of something like this? Obviously it's stupid to keep all your data in one place, but lots of people do it, and when that one place can shut you down and basically ruin your life, that's a serious concern.