It's been some years that I am not able to log in to my Google account, because I stopped using it for a very long time any Google product, and now even providing my password, they say they can not know if it is me or now...
They send me to this support page which seems like I have lost my account with all the data and stuff I had from when I was younger...
I don't think this is normal or ethic to do (I know Google has been never ethic), but this makes me so angry because I never wanted to lose all that data...
Do they basically know every people networks? And if you don't let them know... you lose access to Google? ... π
Yeah, I recently lost my 14-year-old Facebook account with no option to download my data while suspended. The suspension even was a bug following me setting my account to hacked by accident and releasing it (which took 2 days) again... Half a day after I set it to 'not hacked' anymore, changing my email snd password, it flew in suspension, to which I was given 1 attempt at 'Disagree'ing, which I did, but it's been slmosty 4 months now: the page still says to check back often for a result, but when I log out it tells me I haven't 'disagree'd yet (though it will not allow me to redo it)... Lost 14 years of journalling data and uploaded creations in a second... π
Best of all: There's absolutely no decent support system where you can go if their "automation" fails... They expect the automation and a basic faq suffices for whatever problem you have, and have no way to complain about it if it doesn't...
I don't think Google has a decent support system anymore either... They should fine big monopolistic companies if they can't even provide a decent support system for exceptional cases, imho...
I have an FB account from 2010 that I didn't sign into for 2-3 years. I tried and they wanted me to send them my driver's license... uh, no. Sillier thing is I have a linked instagram account I have signed into every week or two with no problems.
About five years ago, I had my Facebook name set to be my first name three times, first middle and last. Facebook thought it was fake, rightfully so, so they demanded that I send photo ID to verify myself. At that time, I didn't have valid ID. didn't have valid ID for about seven years at that time, I sure as fuck wasn't going to get one just to use Facebook. I decided to just delete the account, then I deleted all of my other Facebook accounts, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. they're getting way too greedy
No they don't, and they know it doesn't, they just don't give a fuck. They're worth a bajillion dollars and anything else is just chatter to them.
In many European countries, you have legal recourse here. They're not allowed to make arbitrary decisions like this in most places here. You could sue them to get your account re-instated.
I'm from Europe, but sueing costs money... π
There are consumer unions with hired lawyers. In Spain there's Facua and OCU (but the 2d one is governmental, I think)
I lost my Facebook account because I had a bad internet connection. It asked me to log in again, then as I did the connection stalled a bit... then it came up saying I needed to confirm my identity with government ID. Not that Facebook had the information from my ID associated with my account, of course, so it could only have been a way to fish for more information from me.
I tried to do it, yet every time it kept getting rejected. I think it basically automatically refused because the name on my licence is my full name, while I go by the shortened version. Pretty annoying in some ways, as I had an old account with a username - my profile wasn't \www.facebook.com/number but \www.facebook.com/username - however it was effective in breaking the habit.
I did have a couple tasty meme groups that I miss, however.
Yeah, I barely want to use FB at all but it's annoying that I can't go look at historical things or download my photos. I agree the license request is purely an attempt to get more information, not for security but for some stupid spying crap.
Yeah, I too had a shortname and a lot of stuff, including selfmade content, saved on it. And a page I had for a cat that saved my life from a fire once, which became a memorial for her. (I fell appart when she died.) That page held my genuine feelings at the time I lost her, and was my little corner of memories of better times... All gone now with not even any access to saving anything of it. Might sound morbid, but it kinda feels like they erased her grave, tbh... π
Depending on your jurisdiction you may be able to force them to give you access by getting an ICO or equivalent body involved. I've sort of been keeping that in my back pocket, but also kind of enjoy not being on the platform lol.
Yeah right, I wish I could have some human contact to tell them "I am me"... did you find or tried to find any human support email or contact? I wonder if Google has any tooβ¦
I've actually recovered my account (I was reported, and suspended, for using a false name) and along with the identification they requested I submitted a picture of a hand-written letter explaining why I used this name.
my account was reinstated.
Do you have the email address? (if they asked you that via email address) Maybe I can send them some message to unblock me, if not it's okay.
I have already read many people have been locked too, I will need lawyers to sue that company to force leaking my personal data to be able to use my account again, and that's not easy...
it was a few years ago now, I'm sorry - if I still hand it it'll be deeply buried in my inbox
No, there's a US phonenumber, "tollfree" (as if that matters when I'm in Europe, it'll still cost me a lot either way), and it connects you to a multiple choice voice recording with no option to speak to a real person, and most support related stuff apparently just tells you to go click the "help link at the bottom of the facebookpage". First of all, suspended I have little to no options anymore as the site tries it's best to lock you out completely, even preventing you from seeing stuff you can see fine when logged out, and secondly, if I use another account for it: There is no bottom of the facebookpage, it's infinite scroll... π Anyway, I did use the "report a problem" a bunch of times, but that apparently had no effect either... I also tried dm'ing Facebook on Twitter as some say they sometimes answer there, but apparently I'm not part of that sometimes and got no reaction there either. π€·ββοΈ