How Google Killing Accounts Can Leave Androids Orphaned 210
jfruhlinger writes "As we've heard in cases of pseudonym-users in Google+, or in the case of Dylan Marcheschi that went viral last week, Google can kill your account at any time — and since Google is keen on tying your account to its entire range of services, that means you could lose data stored everywhere from Gmail to Picasa. Blogger Dan Tynan examined one particular aspect of this problem — namely, the plight of someone who's been Google-executed and who uses an Android phone."
Not again ??!! (Score:0, Informative)
Isn't this the same issue as previously mentioned - only Google Profile services are affected by bans - GMail ISN'T one of those services and Android phones are (at most) tied to a GMail account in order to use the Marketplace ???
Seems like another dig at Google+ for no apparent reason.
Facebook will benefit from this (Score:5, Informative)
I think Facebook will end up benefiting from Google tying everything together under one umbrella. I can't speak for everyone, but I couldn't care less if my Facebook account got banned or closed. I primarily use it to socialize with some distant relatives and old classmates. It is not essential. If I lose my Facebook account it doesn't affect my email. Facebook doesn't track my Google searches.
Facebook may be a hated company, but at least they are relatively isolated.
It just doesn't make sense to put all your eggs in one basket. By using Google for everything you end up with a single point of failure.
Best-case scenario is that Google scares Facebook enough that Facebook improves their privacy controls and updates their friends lists to be more front-and-center like Google circles.
FUD article (Score:5, Informative)
Google doesn't suspend Gmail and Picasa when it disables Google+ profile, only Google+ and unfortunately Google Reader gets suspended. And in case of Dylan - well, just don't put anything resembling child porno in Picasa, and you'd be ok.
Re:Kinda walked into that one (Score:3, Informative)
Marcheschi says Google deleted the image, he has no other copy, and doesn’t remember where he found it on the InterWebs, so there’s no way to judge for yourself.)"
It's on Wikipedia, and it is the cover of the album Virgin Killer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Killer
The naked virgin is 12, and clearly posing sexually. This image is highly illegal in many countries, including Sweden.
Re:FUD article (Score:5, Informative)
This is an official claim, but the reports keep coming in of GMail being locked with G+, e.g.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/jul/25/1 [guardian.co.uk]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/jul/28/google-open-letter-google [guardian.co.uk]
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Informative)
And then every purchased market app suddenly goes byebye...
FALSE: Official Google response (Score:5, Informative)
Google has explained [google.com] that being banned only from G+ does not ban you from other services
MYTH: Not abiding by the Google+ common name policy can lead to wholesale suspension of one’s entire Google account.
When an account is suspended for violating the Google+ common name standards, access to Gmail or other products that don’t require a Google+ profile are not removed. Please help get the word out: if your Google+ Profile is suspended for not using a common name, you won't be able to use Google services that require a Google+ Profile, but you'll still be able to use Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Blogger, and so on. (Of course there are other Google-wide policies (e.g. egregious spamming, illegal activity, etc) that do apply to all Google products, and violations of these policies could in fact lead to a Google-wide suspension.)
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Informative)
Testing != real life. You actually tie things to an account in real life.
If they block my account, I can lose access to my email, photos, custom setups, calendars, documents, voicemail/phone number, blog pages, adsense accounts, billing, credit card info, perhaps actual money from adsense.
See here for a list of what can be taken from you.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/about/products/index.html [google.com]
Granted, it's a free service with no guarantees, but that doesn't mean there isn't real impact on real people.
Re:FALSE: Official Google response (Score:5, Informative)
This is an official claim, but the reports keep coming in of GMail being locked with G+, e.g.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/jul/25/1 [guardian.co.uk]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/jul/28/google-open-letter-google [guardian.co.uk]
Just because Google say it isn't happening does not mean it isn't happening.
I did ask Mr Horowitz in that thread for an explanation or correction. Still waiting.
Re:FALSE: Official Google response (Score:5, Informative)
A few days ago my account was suddenly suspended - with vague references to breaking T&Cs. I had done nothing new with the account bar signing up to Google+ and was using my real name for the profile. ALL my Google services were blocked (at the account level).
I submitted a query and the following day the account was reinstated - again without explanation of what had happened or why. While that is obviously a 'good thing' the lack of explanation means I have no way of knowing if it will happen again.
It is completely bass-ackwards for them to lock access to one service on the basis of your apparent - unproven, inexplained - indiscretions on another. It would be a simple situation to resolve - flagging the service as disabled not the user - if they wanted to.
Stopped me recommending Google+ to anyone anyway. It now gets a "don't bother you might lose your account".