And there could be an agency similar to CFPB where citizens could appeal who would then make formal investigations.
So regulation would force the workflow described in the article to not have a grim outcome for elderly users of gmail.
But let's put aside the efficacy of said institution, and presume it's working very well. They got call from some Joe. He claims that certain email address belongs to him, but can't prove it. Forgot password, no access to phone. What this customer service of yours going to do? Let's imagine they can order Google to give the guy access to account. Is that a right thing to do? What if that email belongs to a journalist or a whistleblower and you just gave access to it to a Russian intelligence? Remember, benefits are one thing, but it's not the only thing for which email is used.
And if it really comes down to this, why is Google under obligation to provide emails for government use? Government can provide email access to everyone who needs it. If they require email in order to access benefits, well go ahead and set up necessary infrastructure. Why Google had to do it? Google provides service on as-is basis. If that service level is unacceptable for government use, well newsflash: it's not the only provider.
If you have an Android phone, your e-mail is on Gmail. It doesn't need to be, but it is, because you didn't know that when you were funnelled into the e-mail when you set up the account and oops now that you're locked out ten years later it's too late to make a choice.
I suppose they could be subsidized by the state for low income people.
I don’t know Google well enough to know what they would need to do to offer non-shitty service. Maybe they show more ads.
I also think they could automate good service if they wanted to, but it’s not a priority and they aren’t required. I used financial services before and after CFPB and I don’t remember price increases on my bank accounts. So perhaps something similar would apply here.