PSA: Overseas? Don't try recover a dead relatives Gmail account | Hacker News Reader

PSA: Overseas? Don't try recover a dead relatives Gmail account

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Adding my own email address as a recovery to my dead fathers Gmail account resulted in it being locked.

Despite having access to the password, recovery account _and_ the telephone (when my mother is awake), I'm now locked out.

Very frustrating and a salient reminder who you should not trust Google with anything of value.

Even when signing in on a new browser in the same US city Google rejects valid logins. Doesn't matter if you enter the 2FA code and correct password, Google will lie and say the 2FA code was wrong if their algorithm determines that your browser and ISP combination are suspicious.

I can only imagine this will get worse as they go further down the AI rabbit hole.

What really amazes me though is how they now treat changing recovery options as signal that the account is compromised.

Google Accounts Team: Users must have a way to recover their account!

Google Security AI: Changing recovery options is a sign of a hack! Shut it down!

Is there a new Conways Law, when an AI is involved?

"Your AIs will ignore product goals only optimise for the outcomes of the department they're created in"

My condolences, and thanks for sharing your pain to warn those of us who also live far enough away from older family members that this could be an issue.

[Edited to add] This also made me think about a late uncle's various Apple things that my rather tech illiterate elderly aunt still uses - under his Apple ID. I really need to put them under a new ID tied to an email address I control so that she doesn’t get locked out without recourse - a project for the next time we can visit her.

Yeah, it’s a real gotcha.

Not surprised the Borg don’t get it. Right now I have my uncle nearby and he knows at least how to use a computer.

Things are going to get real fun when he leaves and my 75yr mom is on her own with the tech.

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