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YouTube suspended my channel for a video with disclosed issue in Grammarly

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Re: YouTube suspended my channel for a video with disclosed issue in Grammarly

#21

Post by smcl »

megumax wrote: post #15

After Grammarly spent millions of dollars on Google ads, I expect them not to accept valid criticism on Google platforms. But it's unfair to block a guy that talked about a real flaw in Grammarly's plagiarism checker, at least pretend that you allow free speech and take down that video for a random reason specified in your ToS.

I think you've incorrectly invoked "free speech" here, IMO this isn't a free speech issue. It may be a TOS issue and it does sound like Google are being a bit unreasonable but "free speech" isn't really something Google ever promised to permit on their platforms

Re: YouTube suspended my channel for a video with disclosed issue in Grammarly

#22

Post by slantyyz »

usr1106 wrote: post #16
inglor_cz wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Many people outside the English-speaking world will never see those adds. Your search bubble is not others." I am a Czech and I see them all the damn time. Maybe because I consume a lot of English content.

I generally don't use Youtube a lot and because I never log in they have no profile for me. So they show me random household ads based on location. Very poorly targeted, 90% completely uninteresting stuff. They even don't know my mother tongue :)

What I find funny is that YouTube knows who I am and where I live (English-speaking Canada), but every now and then I go through a short time period (a few days) where most of the ads are in French (for Canada).

Re: YouTube suspended my channel for a video with disclosed issue in Grammarly

#23

Post by Ironlikebike »

evilksandr wrote: post #2

1) At the blocking moment I had only 2 videos (just screen records) on my channel which showed the same problem in 2 different Grammarly products 2) these videos were an illustration for my report https://hackerone.com/reports/1282282 , which Grammarly disclosed to the public and does not consider this a problem. 3) these videos were published after Grammarly representatives allowed me to release this information 4)…

My son (a curious juvenile) found his own YouTube account banned in a similar manner for disclosing a security issue in Google wifi products. There was no first or second warning (despite what the Terms of Service say). Google would not give him a justification for the banning other than "terms of service violation". The appeals fell on deaf ears. Now their automated system keeps banning every YouTube account he creates within days of creation.

I worry that he'll never be able to appeal and a stupid 'mistaken reading of the ToS' on his part as a minor will affect his ability to ever host a YouTube channel or have a premium account subscription.

Good luck getting a real human in Google to sympathize with your plight and restore your account. They see disclosure of security issues related to their products or their customers' products as ToS violations and appear to be unyielding and swift in silencing such content permanently.

Re: YouTube suspended my channel for a video with disclosed issue in Grammarly

#24

Post by prashantsengar »

amelius wrote: post #5
Sosh101 wrote: post #3

I wonder how much money Grammarly have spent with youtube.

I also wonder how many users they have.

I believe most of their users are academicians - students writing their thesis. And I don't think a lot of them pay for its license themselves. It's their institute which purchases the license.

Re: YouTube suspended my channel for a video with disclosed issue in Grammarly

#25

Post by raxxorrax »

smcl wrote: post #21
megumax wrote: post #15

After Grammarly spent millions of dollars on Google ads, I expect them not to accept valid criticism on Google platforms. But it's unfair to block a guy that talked about a real flaw in Grammarly's plagiarism checker, at least pretend that you allow free speech and take down that video for a random reason specified in your ToS.

I think you've incorrectly invoked "free speech" here, IMO this isn't a free speech issue. It may be a TOS issue and it does sound like Google are being a bit unreasonable but "free speech" isn't really something Google ever promised to permit on their platforms

Why is that not a free speech issue? It is not a legal issue of course, but removal of critical opinions very much qualifies to be a violation of the principle.

Re: YouTube suspended my channel for a video with disclosed issue in Grammarly

#26

Post by jchw »

smcl wrote: post #21
megumax wrote: post #15

After Grammarly spent millions of dollars on Google ads, I expect them not to accept valid criticism on Google platforms. But it's unfair to block a guy that talked about a real flaw in Grammarly's plagiarism checker, at least pretend that you allow free speech and take down that video for a random reason specified in your ToS.

I think you've incorrectly invoked "free speech" here, IMO this isn't a free speech issue. It may be a TOS issue and it does sound like Google are being a bit unreasonable but "free speech" isn't really something Google ever promised to permit on their platforms

Free speech isn’t just something that can be encoded into law, it’s an ideology. A great ideology, imo.

That said, with COVID-19 it really became apparent that these platforms have basically become a new public square, putting everyone in an awkward position. You can basically be ousted from the internet by just a couple entities like Facebook or Twitter and have your entire online presence torpedoed. IRL I can just go to a different bar, gym, whatever. On the internet, everything consolidates rapidly. It’s hard to argue that companies should be forced to allow things they don’t want on their platforms, but it’s clear that something has to be done here if platforms are going to consolidate this badly.

Re: YouTube suspended my channel for a video with disclosed issue in Grammarly

#27

Post by paulcole »

smcl wrote: post #21
megumax wrote: post #15

After Grammarly spent millions of dollars on Google ads, I expect them not to accept valid criticism on Google platforms. But it's unfair to block a guy that talked about a real flaw in Grammarly's plagiarism checker, at least pretend that you allow free speech and take down that video for a random reason specified in your ToS.

I think you've incorrectly invoked "free speech" here, IMO this isn't a free speech issue. It may be a TOS issue and it does sound like Google are being a bit unreasonable but "free speech" isn't really something Google ever promised to permit on their platforms

It is definitely a free speech issue but not in the legal and constitutional sense that you're thinking of.

Regardless of the situation you're in, you have the ability to say, "I should have the right to free speech in this situation." Whether this belief will be validated in the reality of the situation is an entirely different matter.

Re: YouTube suspended my channel for a video with disclosed issue in Grammarly

#28

Post by 1ris »

smcl wrote: post #21
megumax wrote: post #15

After Grammarly spent millions of dollars on Google ads, I expect them not to accept valid criticism on Google platforms. But it's unfair to block a guy that talked about a real flaw in Grammarly's plagiarism checker, at least pretend that you allow free speech and take down that video for a random reason specified in your ToS.

I think you've incorrectly invoked "free speech" here, IMO this isn't a free speech issue. It may be a TOS issue and it does sound like Google are being a bit unreasonable but "free speech" isn't really something Google ever promised to permit on their platforms

I absolutely disagree. But we had this debate over and over and over again. It would be great if you could stop rehashing is debate once more.

I some twist of irony, this comment is against the HN TOS. So please stop.

Re: YouTube suspended my channel for a video with disclosed issue in Grammarly

#29

Post by contravariant »

smcl wrote: post #21
megumax wrote: post #15

After Grammarly spent millions of dollars on Google ads, I expect them not to accept valid criticism on Google platforms. But it's unfair to block a guy that talked about a real flaw in Grammarly's plagiarism checker, at least pretend that you allow free speech and take down that video for a random reason specified in your ToS.

I think you've incorrectly invoked "free speech" here, IMO this isn't a free speech issue. It may be a TOS issue and it does sound like Google are being a bit unreasonable but "free speech" isn't really something Google ever promised to permit on their platforms

The idea that companies should be allowed to trample all over basic freedoms because they're not the government has to be the most capitalist idea ever.

Re: YouTube suspended my channel for a video with disclosed issue in Grammarly

#30

Post by smcl »

raxxorrax wrote: post #25
smcl wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you've incorrectly invoked "free speech" here, IMO this isn't a free speech issue. It may be a TOS issue and it does sound like Google are being a bit unreasonable but "free speech" isn't really something Google ever promised to permit on their platforms

Why is that not a free speech issue? It is not a legal issue of course, but removal of critical opinions very much qualifies to be a violation of the principle.

Because it's basically never been a thing there. Facebook, Twitter, Google - all of these platforms can and do remove things from their platforms for whatever reason they feel like. There's nothing we can do about it, there is no free speech there and acting indignant like they're eroding some right that you previously had is just pointless.

It'd be like complaining that you can't get sushi at McDonalds anymore. You couldn't ever do that, McDonalds haven't indicated that they would offer this and we all know it's not going to happen.

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