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An Example of a Sad Google Account Recovery Failure and Its Effects

lauren.vortex.com

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Re: An Example of a Sad Google Account Recovery Failure and Its Effects

#11

Post by crazygringo »

iudqnolq wrote: post #8
NoZebra120vClip wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know about Takeout, right?

Have you ever tried to takeout a large amount of data across many services? Describing it as a process you do slowly is entirely fair.

Why does it matter if it's slow or fast? Because it's easy, regardless.

You just click the boxes for the services you want, it e-mails you when it's ready minutes/hours later, and you download the file(s) at the speed of your internet connection.

Considering it has to zip up many gigabytes of data from various sources, it works at an entirely reasonable speed.

The idea that it's too slow to be of value is a reason not to use it makes no sense.

Do you just not make backups of your data at all, because backups take hours?

Re: An Example of a Sad Google Account Recovery Failure and Its Effects

#12

Post by readyplayernull »

crazygringo wrote: post #10

Given the difficulty people talk about recovering an account to which they've lost the password or recovery methods, it seems like Google ought to periodically ask you to verify that your recovery e-mail and phone number and 2FA device are still correct. It seems like that would basically solve the problem in most cases. So I kind of find it strange that I use Google services extensively, and yet I can't recall ever…

I have several accounts and Google will only show remiders for those I barely log in. It even used to send reminder emails but that seemed to stop after I marked them as spam.

Re: An Example of a Sad Google Account Recovery Failure and Its Effects

#13

Post by ilyt »

crazygringo wrote: post #10

Given the difficulty people talk about recovering an account to which they've lost the password or recovery methods, it seems like Google ought to periodically ask you to verify that your recovery e-mail and phone number and 2FA device are still correct. It seems like that would basically solve the problem in most cases. So I kind of find it strange that I use Google services extensively, and yet I can't recall ever…

> it seems like Google ought to periodically ask you to verify that your recovery e-mail and phone number and 2FA device are still correct. It seems like that would basically solve the problem in most cases.

I get prompt to verify my recovery email ~once a year. You guys don't ?

Re: An Example of a Sad Google Account Recovery Failure and Its Effects

#14

Post by gerdesj »

usernew wrote: post #6

I've said it once, and I've said it again for well over a decade. The only google account recovery is creating a new account in 5 minutes. If doing that does not restore the full extent of the purpose for which you were using google's services, you're doing it wrong. Google accounts serve one purpose: if you are trying to use a google resource that requires an account. Example: save some marked places on google maps.…

I have had a Google account for quite a while. I got a fairly early Gmail account when it was apply for an invite only. I had a G+ account that was taken around the back and a single shot heard. That was well after my home page of links thingie was unceremoniously put down (I can't even remember what that was called).

I would not dream of actually putting anything useful into a Google account. The most basic of due-dil process should ring an alarm bell enough to awaken the dead.

Entrusting your corporate data to Google is playing a form of Russian Roulette. Do ensure you have local backups. I understand why unprofitable products get dropped by Google - my company does the same thing. However, I'm not running a hyper-scaler cloud. A common misconception about the cloud is that you simply divest all responsibility and shove your stuff into it and all will be well.

Due diligence and caveat emptor.

Re: An Example of a Sad Google Account Recovery Failure and Its Effects

#16

Post by crazygringo »

ilyt wrote: post #13
crazygringo wrote: post #10

Given the difficulty people talk about recovering an account to which they've lost the password or recovery methods, it seems like Google ought to periodically ask you to verify that your recovery e-mail and phone number and 2FA device are still correct. It seems like that would basically solve the problem in most cases. So I kind of find it strange that I use Google services extensively, and yet I can't recall ever…

> it seems like Google ought to periodically ask you to verify that your recovery e-mail and phone number and 2FA device are still correct. It seems like that would basically solve the problem in most cases. I get prompt to verify my recovery email ~once a year. You guys don't ?

I don't but Google might be able to figure out I'm active enough (e.g. it can tell I pick up on Google Voice calls at my recovery number, and am always logged in with lots of devices) that it doesn't bother.

So stories like this make me assume that Google isn't sending them out enough. But maybe it does? Then is there a question of people's responsibility if they ignore them?

Re: An Example of a Sad Google Account Recovery Failure and Its Effects

#17

Post by notRobot »

ilyt wrote: post #13
crazygringo wrote: post #10

Given the difficulty people talk about recovering an account to which they've lost the password or recovery methods, it seems like Google ought to periodically ask you to verify that your recovery e-mail and phone number and 2FA device are still correct. It seems like that would basically solve the problem in most cases. So I kind of find it strange that I use Google services extensively, and yet I can't recall ever…

> it seems like Google ought to periodically ask you to verify that your recovery e-mail and phone number and 2FA device are still correct. It seems like that would basically solve the problem in most cases. I get prompt to verify my recovery email ~once a year. You guys don't ?

I'm actually pretty sure I get it more often than that.

Re: An Example of a Sad Google Account Recovery Failure and Its Effects

#18

Post by saagarjha »

greatgib wrote: post #15

The worst in all of that is that when it is for nefarious purpose, like government access or spying, they don't have issue to have an employee giving access...

I wonder if GDPR, etc can require Google to hand you your data back even if you can’t access the account.

Re: An Example of a Sad Google Account Recovery Failure and Its Effects

#19

Post by nl »

Google is attempting to migrate my account to Passkeys, which doesn't work at all for me. Despite spending significant time trying to get it to work I cannot get a passkey that works on my iOS device, and without it it seems impossible.

And yet Google keeps trying to log me in using it.

Re: An Example of a Sad Google Account Recovery Failure and Its Effects

#20

Post by saagarjha »

> They’ve all basically hit the brick wall of Google suggesting that at their scale, nothing can be done about such “edge” cases.

The thing is that at scale your “edge” cases are still millions of people. Companies love the benefits that come from scale, like having a billion people use their service, but they never seem to be capable of handling the other parts that come with it :(

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