Apple and Google face pressure to deplatform Parler over calls to violence

[sweet_heloise]

Apple and Google face pressure to deplatform Parler over calls to violence https://t.co/BlaJgbaoXj pic.twitter.com/MPNFDx7S8J
- The Verge (@verge) January 8, 2021
Apple and Google are facing new pressure to deplatform Parler, a social network founded as a less moderated and more conservative-friendly alternative to Facebook and Twitter. Activist

Comments

[beanstew]

Maybe someone here can help me and/or reassure me. My Gmail address is one common word, so lots of people (especially people from places that speak similar languages to my maternal language) are dumb-dumbs and use it to sign up to various websites and services thinking that it's their email address. Usually, I can tell because the address needs to be verified, and I obviously don't verify it and go through the process of telling the website/service that it isn't me trying to sign up.

I've had invoices sent to me from random businesses all over the world, sign-ups to shein and other shopping places, random gaming places, random forums. I've had an 11-year-old girl sign up to tiktok using my address, and the only reason I found out is that I went to sign up myself lmao and discovered there was already an account using my address. So I deleted it lmao sorry kid for destroying your videos

BUT the same thing happened with parler. Someone used my address to sign up. I got the notification in my inbox that an account was created, but there was nothing to click to verify/unverify the address. So I emailed parler twice to tell them to remove my address and finally got a response saying the account associated with that email was banned. Not even deleted, but just banned. I can't get any more out of them, and I know it's not a big thing in the scheme of life, but I just can't let it go that my email address is in parler's database somewhere.

what would you do? or is there even anything to do?

ty in advance. <3

[_myaugust]

I’m shocked people can make accounts off your email since most websites these days require verification of your email address. Personally, I’d let it go especially if it’s an email that’s not connected to you too often. It’d be different if it was your name or something. Maybe you can do the “forgot password” thing and delete the account?

[beanstew]

ty bb - ye lucky it's not my name!

i tried going through the 'forgot password' process to delete the account (which is what i do in other places where i can), but kept getting error messages that the account was set to 'private' and that i couldn't reset the password - "contact us blah blah".

the whole thing just felt very uncomfortable. also shocked that they didn't require email verification to make an account... idk idk i've been thinking about it since it happened but there's not much else i can do now.

ty for reassuring me! <3

[tiffanynichelle]

It's happened me to several times. People have used it to set up phone lines (land and cell), an apartment, school schedules. Last time someone used it for a Disney+ account that I changed the password on and deleted. I should have shared it with friends instead.

[beanstew]

omg at disney+... i just don't understand how these people can be so careless.

[theactualworst]

Honestly, I’d change your email address.

[beanstew]

oh man i was hoping to avoid this since it has literally my whole life in it - have had it since i was 13 ;_;

i use a different address for banking and other 'official' life stuff, but all my photos, memories, friends, family are in there. ;_; but ty for waking me up to it - i might have to think about it finally.

[theactualworst]

What kind of account is it? I’d contact the email provider and ask them about options.

[beanstew]

it's gmail, so maybe they have a rename feature or something. i'll find out!

[theactualworst]

Either that or maybe you can set up more security if your email address is used somewhere.

[adam_pally]

my main email is my first initial and last name and I get emails for two other people people in the US because my they have the same first initial + last name.

I know one of them is a democrat since I get emails from the DNC and the other went to school in Chicago because I got a 10 year HS reunion email invite for him.

[beanstew]

lol it's so wild isn't it! i've had a couple of 'wrong number' emails too and it's weird seeing someone's personal business like that randomly.

i wonder if you'll ever meet your email doppelgangers.

[piratesswoop]

lol that's happened to me--i got gmail back when it first started and you needed an invite and since i was in my peak lotr stanning days, i signed up with an lotr username. there's some woman who apparently has the same email except apparently hers is spelled ei while mine is ie. i will randomly get emails meant for her.

some lady also signed up for her credit union account using my email and i kept messaging the bank but they have literally done nothing about it #rip

[beanstew]

oh god totally feel you - it's funny when it's something trivial but when someone uses your email to sign up to a bank account it gets annoying :/

i also got gmail when it was invite only! i know it's the reason we managed to get such good handles, but man what a pain in the ass.

[erika92]

it was probably part of a hack/ or something.

check out https://haveibeenpwned.com

[beanstew]

oh god livejournal and tumblr betrayed me lol

last year i went through Chrome's password thing and changed all the compromised passwords i had on different websites, so that part i'm ok with. ty bb!