Active freelancer banned on Upwork after video verification process
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Re: Active freelancer banned on Upwork after video verification process
#2I am confused, maybe I misread something but it seems like you did get banned for unknown reasons (which very sadly seems to becoming a common occurrence) but has nothing to do with how you looked like that morning? Are you sure you did not violate any ToS even if accidentally?
Re: Active freelancer banned on Upwork after video verification process
#3I think with fraud detection, there is sort of this ingrained idea that you can't tell the person in question what the suspected fraud is with the hypothesis that it will allow fraudsters to figure out a way around your detection.
I don't know that this hypothesis is true though and it certainly harms your real users when there are false positives. Fraud is certainly a big problem for platforms, so it's not like they can just ignore, but at the same time surely can do better than treating your long-time users to a ban with no explanation and no warning.
Re: Active freelancer banned on Upwork after video verification process
#4I am confused, maybe I misread something but it seems like you did get banned for unknown reasons (which very sadly seems to becoming a common occurrence) but has nothing to do with how you looked like that morning? Are you sure you did not violate any ToS even if accidentally?
Well I was never warned over 3 years. I never accepted payment away from Upwork, i maybe couple of times got off site communication on client request, but nobody gave me infraction for that. I think that should come before the ban.
I figure there is two possible reasons they banned me. Facial recognition software decided that my profile pic (when I was younger and clean shaven) is not sufficiently similar to my pic taken during video call.
Other reason might be that they think my services are not being needed, as I had interviews without hire... except those were ones where I did not want to be hired, it was not like client rejected me. I simply wanted to pick best jobs, while still having time to concentrate on my long running contract with full time employer. In a hindsight, I probably should have set my profile to private in order not to get any invites. And go public only when I want side-job. I did not know they count that metric.
Re: Active freelancer banned on Upwork after video verification process
#5I think with fraud detection, there is sort of this ingrained idea that you can't tell the person in question what the suspected fraud is with the hypothesis that it will allow fraudsters to figure out a way around your detection. I don't know that this hypothesis is true though and it certainly harms your real users when there are false positives. Fraud is certainly a big problem for platforms, so it's not like they…
Feels somewhat like security through obfuscation and I think fraudsters will find a way around anyway.
Re: Active freelancer banned on Upwork after video verification process
#6Hmmm, this is a pretty relevant reversal of roles, when you think about it. Usually we have individual users running around causing mayhem from beyond the boundaries of jurisdictions that might try to seek damages or prosecute crimes. Usually it's individuals from other countries crossing distance to attack organizations.
Here, we have an organization damaging an individual with possible criminal actions, from beyond the individual's reach. Discriminating based on general appearance isn't always an acceptable choice, when it's not relevant to business.
There might be no recourse in situations that cross different borders and jurisdictions...
Re: Active freelancer banned on Upwork after video verification process
#7I am confused, maybe I misread something but it seems like you did get banned for unknown reasons (which very sadly seems to becoming a common occurrence) but has nothing to do with how you looked like that morning? Are you sure you did not violate any ToS even if accidentally?
Well I was never warned over 3 years. I never accepted payment away from Upwork, i maybe couple of times got off site communication on client request, but nobody gave me infraction for that. I think that should come before the ban. I figure there is two possible reasons they banned me. Facial recognition software decided that my profile pic (when I was younger and clean shaven) is not sufficiently similar to my pic t…
Or maybe this is a big misunderstanding, and your blog post title is clickbait.
Re: Active freelancer banned on Upwork after video verification process
#8I am confused, maybe I misread something but it seems like you did get banned for unknown reasons (which very sadly seems to becoming a common occurrence) but has nothing to do with how you looked like that morning? Are you sure you did not violate any ToS even if accidentally?
Well I was never warned over 3 years. I never accepted payment away from Upwork, i maybe couple of times got off site communication on client request, but nobody gave me infraction for that. I think that should come before the ban. I figure there is two possible reasons they banned me. Facial recognition software decided that my profile pic (when I was younger and clean shaven) is not sufficiently similar to my pic t…
Maybe clients you turned down gave you 1 stars or what ever.
Do you think it was chat bots? These automated fraud detection system are a nightmare.
I did some jobs at elance as a student. You could feel how the platform was on the side of the work buyers. I stopped trying making money there after a dispute with a SEO dude over payment for some text where he wanted me to do another one before I got payed ... luckely the money (30 USD) was in escrow for me and I actually got it from elance, but it's a buyers market.
Re: Active freelancer banned on Upwork after video verification process
#9Two thoughts:
1. Ofalyn really wanted to hurry you off the chat. Seems pretty unprofessional.
2. It's a little painful to see some of those job postings. "Virtual staff needed for long term employment -- $65". Yikes. The gig economy.
Re: Active freelancer banned on Upwork after video verification process
#10I also tried doing UpWork in my spare time, I had a few gigs with good reviews and made ~$300 over about a month. I only took on jobs that I enjoyed so it wasn't like I was trying to live off it.
They also sent me a similar email and requested a video call to verify my identity. They quized me with some programming questions. I found it very impersonal and insulting honestly. I did not get banned but I stopped using their platform after that.
I also tried Freelancer but never did any work there, it was an awful expereince but for different reasons.