Google flagged a bath photo of my baby as CSAM. Two appeals denied, no explanation. Lost 10 years of data including photos of 3 family members who passed away
In October 2025, Google disabled my Google account (Gmail, Drive, Photos — everything) after its automated systems flagged a photo of my infant son being bathed by his grandmother. No nudity beyond a baby in a bath. Nothing that resembles abuse material by any reasonable standard.
Google allows two appeals for this type of violation. I submitted both. Both were denied with zero explanation and no human contact — just a form rejection.
What's gone: 10+ years of Gmail and Drive, and every photo/video in Google Photos, including the only surviving photos and videos of my father, grandmother, and a close friend — all of whom passed away in the last three years — plus the delivery-room video of my son being born. None of it exists anywhere else.
I'm not disputing Google's right to remove content it believes violates policy — I've said explicitly, in writing, that they can delete the specific image in question. What I can't get anyone to explain is why an entire decade of unrelated, lawful family data has to be permanently destroyed along with it, with no human ever reviewing the actual context.
This isn't a rare case — it's a documented pattern (the NYT covered nearly identical cases in 2022, "Mark" and "Cassio," where police cleared both fathers and Google still refused to reinstate). I've gone through every standard channel: appeals, attorney demand letter in progress, EFF, journalist outreach. Posting here in case anyone has actually gotten a case like this resolved, or knows someone at Google who might be able to look at it.
Happy to answer questions or share documentation.