Just by creating a Microsoft or Gmail account, we have several gigabytes of storage space. cloud storage. In this space we can store whatever we want, from photos and videos to documents, files, programs… anything. Also, if we want more space, we can pay a subscription (to Google One, or Microsoft 365) to have hundreds of gigabytes, or several terabytes, at our disposal. However, while the cloud may seem comfortable, it can also turn into a nightmare.
Although we don’t know it, Google, Microsoft, and all self-respecting clouds carry out automatic scans, using Artificial Intelligence, to search for all kinds of illegal files stored in your cloud. Among other things, these AIs search for terrorist documentation, child pornography, drug-related information, etc. In other words, nothing will happen to us by saving a pirated program in the cloud… at least, in theory.
These scans go against everything privacy, and they are done randomly, unless there are suspicions that an account is actually hiding something. If we don’t save anything that attracts attention, there will be no problem (beyond the violation of our privacy) and we can continue using the account. But if a target is put on our head, our worst nightmare may begin.
An error accused him of having children’s photos
From one day to the next, a user, which they talk about in the IT blog Heise, He woke up with his Microsoft account blocked. Absolutely everything that was linked to that account had been Inaccessible, from your Outlook email accounts to your address book, calendars, Microsoft Authenticator OTP keys, BitLocker encryption key, all your personal photos, sensitive work documents, even your Xbox game library worth $ more than $1,000, had been blocked.
The reason for this blocking is not known. You only received a message stating “We have identified activities that violate our Microsoft service agreement.” And, prior to this message, he was just sorting out his photo library. A year later, a court summons shed some light on the matter, having been accused of uploading child pornography to OneDrive when, in reality, it was a harmless photo of a relative taken on the beach from his mobile.
Despite being innocent, and being a clear negligence on the part of the AI, and the person responsible for reviewing the content, this user still does not have access to his account. And the way Microsoft customer support works, it looks like you’ll never be able to get it back.
It can happen to anyone, and in any cloud
You are not the first person this has happened to, nor will you be the last. At the moment in which we trust a large company to make use of its services, if we read the terms and contracts that we accept (something we never do) we are practically selling our soul. And it doesn’t just happen with Microsoft or Google, but also with WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter chats… any service controlled by a multinational.
Therefore, it is best to try avoid using this type of cloud storage servers. We already know well that everything we upload is analyzed by AI, and that it can even reach the hands of an operator. The moment we upload something to OneDrive, Google Drive, or whatever platform, we lose control over it and it is no longer private.
If, despite everything, we want to continue using the cloud, the best thing we can do is bet on several similar platforms to save our entire digital life. For example, copying data to OneDrive and Google Drive, synchronizing calendars… and most importantly, have a private backup on a NAS of all of it.
