From 942bbb1e05bae84a15d6ce70596ecaf8c65b96c0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Danny Guo Date: Sun, 3 Nov 2024 01:36:06 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Add a draft for the Google Voice banning --- astro.config.mjs | 1 + .../google-banned-me-from-google-voice.md | 317 ++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 318 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/pages/blog/google-banned-me-from-google-voice.md diff --git a/astro.config.mjs b/astro.config.mjs index 5d61619..9b6efe4 100644 --- a/astro.config.mjs +++ b/astro.config.mjs @@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export default defineConfig({ mdx(), sitemap({ filter: (page) => + !page.includes("blog/google-banned-me-from-google-voice") && !page.includes("blog/the-black-hole-problem") && !page.includes("blog/beat-the-drum") && !page.includes("blog/the-power-of-the-link") && diff --git a/src/pages/blog/google-banned-me-from-google-voice.md b/src/pages/blog/google-banned-me-from-google-voice.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a06e2e4 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/pages/blog/google-banned-me-from-google-voice.md @@ -0,0 +1,317 @@ +--- +layout: ../../layouts/BlogPostLayout.astro +categories: + - miscellaneous +date: "2024-11-03" +unlisted: true +title: Google Banned Me From Google Voice +--- + +After 15 years, Google banned me from [Google Voice](https://voice.google.com/). +This post is a summary of what happened, with the hope that it might help +someone in the future who runs into the same situation. [At the +end](#retrospective), I have some +thoughts about the latent danger of being banned from Google at any time with no +notice. + +## Background + +I got my first cell phone in high school and immediately signed up for Google +Voice simply because I wanted to be able to send and receive texts from my +computer. So my Google Voice number is the only one I've ever given out to +friends, and I use it as my phone number whenever I can. The only time I use my +"real" Verizon phone number is when I can't receive verification codes because +some services block [VoIP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_over_IP) numbers. + +That was a minor annoyance, and I've loved being able to text and even call from +any device, even if my phone was off or not in service (e.g. traveling +internationally). So I stuck with it for 15 years. My only worry has been that +it seems like another product that Google could easily decide to kill off and +send to the [Google graveyard](https://killedbygoogle.com/) at any moment. But +that turned out to be the wrong worry for me. + +## Getting Banned + +My problems started on October 4, 2024. I got a notification on my phone saying +I had been logged out of my Google account. This had never happened to me +before, and I thought someone might be trying to hack into my account. I was +concerned but not terribly worried because I had two-factor authentication +turned on. On my personal laptop, I saw a notification that I had been logged +out of Google Drive. + +I logged back in on my phone and laptop, going through two-factor authentication +both times. Then I checked the [security +log](https://myaccount.google.com/notifications) for my Google account. I saw +that my account had been disabled at 12:55 pm, but the log didn't have any +details about why. Logging back in had restored my account at 2:38 pm. + +The log didn't have any other security activity, like login attempts. I even +reviewed my [full Google activity](https://myactivity.google.com) but didn't see +anything that I didn't recognize. Everything seemed back to normal, so I went +back to work. + +A few hours later, I tried sending some pictures in a group text in Google +Voice. The first picture went through fine. But when I tried to send a second +one, I received an error message that said something like "Sorry, there was an +error. Please try again later." I retried a few times. Then I tried sending a +plain text message to my wife and got the same error. + +I was worried that it was related to my account being deactivated, but the +optimist in me thought that maybe Google Voice was having an outage. Until I got +home and went on my laptop to check Google Voice in my browser. It redirected me +to [this Google support +page](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/40039?p=grandcentral) with this +message: + +> Unable to access a Google product +> +> If you've been redirected to this page from a particular product, it means +> that your access to this product has been suspended. Read on for more +> information. +> +> Your access to this Google product has been suspended because of a perceived +> violation of either the [Google Terms of +> Service](https://www.google.com/policies/terms/) or product-specific Terms of +> Service. For specific product guidelines, please visit the homepage of each +> Google product you're interested in for a link to its Terms of Service. +> +> Google reserves the right to: +> +> * Disable an account for investigation. +> * Suspend a Google Account user from accessing a particular product or the +> entire Google Accounts system, if the Terms of Service or [product-specific +> policies](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/147806) are violated. +> * Terminate an account at any time, for any reason, with or without notice. +> +> Next steps for suspended accounts: If you believe your access to this product +>was suspended in error, [contact +>us](https://support.google.com/accounts/contact/suspended). +> +> Tip: If you are not redirected to this page from a product, review your +> [service restrictions to file an +> appeal](https://myaccount.google.com/restrictions). + +My heart sank. Getting banned by Google's automated systems is a situation that +I have read [plenty of +stories](https://www.google.com/search?q=hacker+news+google+account+disabled+site:news.ycombinator.com) +about, and I had an idea of what was next: a Kafkaesque situation in which I +would probably never talk to an actual human being, I'd never get any useful +details, and I would likely be forced to accept losing my phone number. + +I tried making an outbound call. It didn't work. I asked my wife to call me. +That didn't work either. I asked my wife to text me. From her perspective, it +looked like it worked, but I obviously couldn't see the text. That was even +worse because it meant that anyone who texted me wouldn't get any indication +that anything was wrong. + +## First Appeal + +The Google support page advised me to [submit a +form](https://support.google.com/accounts/contact/suspended) appealing the +suspension. I did so immediately, explaining that I was suspended right after +sending a picture and noting that I had been logged out of my Google account +earlier in the day. I received an automated email: + +> Thank you for contacting us about restoring access to your Google Account. +> +> Google will review your appeal as soon as possible. Most requests take 2 +> business days to review, but some might take longer. +> +> You may be able to download your data from some Google services. To get +> started, sign in to your account. If your account is eligible, you’ll see a +> link to download your data. +> +> Thanks for your patience. + +I did try to use [Google Takeout](https://takeout.google.com/) to export my +data, but Google Voice no longer shows up in the list of products, even though +I'm sure it did in the past because I have [exported my Google Voice +data](https://support.google.com/voice/answer/10130510?hl=en) before. So the +suspension presumably affected that as well. + +I subscribe to a [Google One](https://one.google.com/about) plan. I knew that +one of the more understated benefits is the ability to get live support from an +actual person, something that is generally impossible with Google. I had nothing +to lose, so I started a chat. It ended up being a waste of time because the +person I talked to was fixated on me mentioning getting logged out of my +account. So they started recommending ways to protect my account. When I brought +the conversation back to the Google Voice suspension, they were unable to access +the ticket that was created when I submitted my appeal. So I ended the +conversation. + +On October 6 (two days later), I heard back about my appeal: + +> Hello, +> +> We have reviewed your request and cannot reinstate your Google Voice service. +> Your Google Voice service has been suspended for violations of our [Google +> Voice Policies](https://support.google.com/voice/answer/9230450?hl=en). +> +> If you have any further questions, please consult the [Google Voice Help +> Center](https://support.google.com/voice/#topic=13968863). +> +> Thanks, +> +> Google Voice Support Team + +## Second Appeal + +On October 7, I submitted a second appeal. I explained that I reviewed the +Google Voice policies and did not believe I violated any of them. I never sent +large quantities of texts, I never sent commercial texts, I only used it to text +friends and family, and there was nothing remotely inappropriate about the +picture I sent right before I was suspended. The picture was of four adults +around a baby in a stroller on a sidewalk. The baby is dressed and even has a +blanket on him. I added that that was the only text I sent on the day I was +suspended, and I didn't make any calls that day. + +On October 8, I received the same reply that I got for the first appeal. + +I considered writing this blog post immediately, posting it to Hacker News, and +hopefully getting enough traction that someone at Google would see it and do +something about it. But I didn't bother because even on the off chance that it +worked, I wouldn't be able to trust Google Voice again and would still want to +port my phone number out. + +## Reclaiming My Number + +At this point, porting my number out was my only priority. I didn't want to tell +all my friends and family to use a new number. And I didn't want to deal with +trying to update my number for a countless number of services, especially since +I'm sure it'd be a hassle for many of them without access to the old number. + +I did some searching and learned that the Google Voice subreddit has [an entire +document on suspensions](https://www.reddit.com/r/Googlevoice/comments/17n4zl2/google_voice_service_suspensions/). Suspensions apparently happen often enough that the subreddit disallows threads on suspensions since there's nothing they can do about it. + +I found [one wonderfully detailed +post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Googlevoice/comments/1dr47m4/account_suspended_reclaiming_your_number_and_your/) +("Account Suspended - Reclaiming your Number and your Dignity; a How-To Guide") +that has been removed because of the subreddit's rule. But that post, as well as +[another +one](https://www.reddit.com/r/google/comments/1filpr1/got_my_suspended_google_voice_number_back_fcc/) +that is still up, said the posters were able to get their numbers out by [filing +complaints](https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us) with the +[FCC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Communications_Commission). So I +planned to do that, expecting the whole process to take a couple of months. + +On October 9, I added a new line to my Verizon plan as a target for the phone +number. A silver lining is that with the new line, I was able to get a new +iPhone 15 for almost free after bill credits. I initiated a port in request with +my Google Voice number. I expected this transfer to fail, since I was unable to +access my Google Voice account to [unlock the +number](https://support.google.com/voice/answer/1065667?hl=en). Then I would +submit the FCC complaint. + +But to my pleasant surprise, the port went through in a couple of days! I +activated service on the new iPhone with my old Google Voice number. I did have +an issue where I could make calls and send and receive texts, but I couldn't +receive calls. I called the Verizon port center (1-888-844-7095), and the person +who helped me did something on their end to truly finish off the port. After +that, I could receive calls as well. So I never needed to use the FCC's muscle. + +On October 23, I received an email from Google Voice saying that my number was +ported away: + +> Hello Danny Guo, +> +> This email is to confirm that your Google Voice number (xxx-xxx-xxxx) has been +> ported away from Google Voice. Calls made to that number will no longer ring +> your forwarding phones and new voicemails won't appear in your Google Voice +> inbox. +> +>Your Google Voice account has been downgraded accordingly, but your existing +>voicemails and text messages remain available in your inbox. You can also +>continue placing calls from Gmail. +> +>You can upgrade your account at any time by getting a new Google Voice number. +> +>Thanks +> +>The Google Voice team + +Now when I open Google Voice on my phone, it asks me to pick a new number as if +I'm starting from scratch. But on web, it still redirects me to the suspension +page. + +## Retrospective + +I have conflicted thoughts about what happened. I've used Google services for +the majority of my life. In college, I remember playing [would you +rather](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Would_you_rather) at lunch, and a friend +asked if I'd rather lose access to everything Google or lose a physical sense. I +really had to think about it. + +I've only ever used Android smartphones and smartwatches, despite being +virtually the only one among my friends and family to not have switched to +iPhone. Which makes me the person who tends to get grief for ruining group chats +by turning them into [green +bubbles](https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-apples-imessage-is-winning-teens-dread-the-green-text-bubble-11641618009). + +And I directly pay Google by subscribing to Google One, YouTube Premium, and +Google Workspace (just for my custom domain email). + +One major reason I've stuck with Google for so long is that I value using +services that are multiplatform. I may have an Android phone and watch, but I +also have a MacBook and an iPad. + +And I still think Google Search can be pretty magical. Despite [its +decline](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/09/google-search-size-usefulness-decline/675409/) +and the fact that [LLM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_language_model)s are +just better for certain searches. + +But relying on Google worries me because of all those stories I've read about +people being banned. Sure, some of those cases might be lacking some details +that would justify the bans, but I was convinced enough to put a lot of effort +into migrating away from Gmail several years ago. Consider how important your +email account is to your digital life and how awful it would be to suddenly lose +access to your email with no warning. + +By now, everything important uses my custom domain email address. I do use +Google Workspace for it, so i'm technically still using Gmail. But the point is +that I control the address. If Google bans me one day, all I have to do is +update my DNS records to switch to something like +[Fastmail](https://www.fastmail.com/). + +The possibility of a Google ban is also one small reason I haven't gotten into +Android development. I could [accidentally violate their +terms](https://medium.com/@antaresone/google-just-terminated-my-google-play-developer-account-forever-f62d6362b6ac) +and get banned from publishing apps in an instant. + +And I deliberately do not take any pictures of my infant son nude on the off +chance it [gets flagged as child sexual abuse +material](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/21/technology/google-surveillance-toddler-photo.html) +after being uploaded into Google Photos, and my entire Google account is banned. +With my recent situation, I consider myself lucky that I was at least only +banned from Google Voice. + +It says something that my biggest issue with Google isn't that their services +aren't good anymore or that they kill things off all the time. It's that I'm +afraid they will just ban me with no recourse. It finally happened, and it +wasn't even for a service that I was worried about. + +I work in software and in fintech. I can understand that Google operates at such +a massive scale that many things have to be automated, and even if there are +some false positives, that could be a worthy tradeoff to Google to not have to +put humans into the loop. + +I also understand the logic of not telling people what rules they broke because +you don't want bad actors to get a better understanding of the system because +that would allow them to fine tune their attacks accordingly. + +But I am still frustrated about temporarily losing my phone number. Sure I never +paid for Google Voice, but Google never gave me an option to pay for it. In this +case, I would have happily paid $100 just to find out why exactly I was banned. +What rule or model decided I needed to be banned? + +Part of it is curiosity. Was the last picture I sent the issue? Getting logged +out of my phone earlier in the day suggests it wasn't. But I didn't do anything +else on Google Voice that day, and I barely sent any texts or made any calls in +the days before. I'm confident that if a real person looked at my account, +they'd agree something in the automation went wrong. You may have some +skepticism. Unfortunately, I can't provide my activity, since I can't see it +anymore after the app recognized that my number was ported out. + +I'm [not the only +one](https://www.reddit.com/r/Googlevoice/comments/1fcw44j/google_voice_exit_strategy_update/) +dealing with this kind of a situation. Google can afford to simply not care +about us.