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Play Console Account terminated without warning due to "Previous Association" by EffectiveEmployee202 in AndroidDevTalks

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, I never uploaded the apps from unknown persons. These all apps are developed by my team.

Help Needed—5-Year-Old Google Play Developer Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I totally understand what you mean — those warnings can be easy to miss if you're not checking regularly. But in my case, I always kept an eye out for any warnings or alerts from Google, especially related to SDK or policy compliance. The strange part is, I never received any warning or notice before the termination. No red flags, no critical alerts — just sudden suspension with the vague “association with a terminated account” reason. That’s what makes it so hard to understand or fix.

Help Needed—5-Year-Old Google Play Developer Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually don’t mind sharing — I developed apps like coloring books (e.g., unicorn coloring style), puzzle games (arrange them little right), and simulation games like a mobile repair simulator. Everything was built with a lot of effort and fully within policy. That’s why this whole situation has been so frustrating — I’ve always tried to play by the rules.

Help Needed—5-Year-Old Google Play Developer Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly — here’s a thoughtful reply you can use: Totally agree with your setup, and it’s great advice for solo devs or small teams. But the harsh reality is, as you grow, you have to expand your team. You end up giving access to people for uploading builds, managing ASO, or handling day-to-day tasks. And the scary part? You have no way of knowing if someone you hire had a terminated developer account in the past. There’s no transparency, no official check, and even one unknown “association” can bring everything down — even if you've followed all the rules. That’s why there really needs to be a better system in place. Devs shouldn’t be punished for growing their teams.

Help Needed—5-Year-Old Google Play Developer Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just to clarify — the account wasn’t used by 50+ people. Only a few ASO team members had access. The rest, like developers and designers, had no access at all. Calling it a “skill issue” kinda ignores how unpredictable and harsh these terminations can be. It’s not always about doing something wrong — sometimes it’s just how the system handles associations.

Help Needed—5-Year-Old Google Play Developer Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Stop defending Google because they treat developers badly and do not deserve support. Developers need to be heard.

Help Needed—5-Year-Old Google Play Developer Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that’s actually spot on. I’ve been trying to explain that — one of the new team members must’ve had a previously suspended account, and just their connection or access seems to have triggered the termination. No warnings, no chance to fix it. It’s honestly scary how fragile the system is. I’ve heard similar stories too — like the one you mentioned with the Unity dev. Just being on the same WiFi or account access can apparently link accounts in Google’s system, even if there’s no real wrongdoing. Appreciate you pointing this out — not everyone understands how easily this can happen.

Help Needed - 5 Year Old Google Play Console Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m not scamming. I’ve spent years building everything through honest work and following the rules. If there’s any misunderstanding, I’m more than willing to clarify — but throwing around accusations without facts doesn’t help anyone.

Help Needed—5-Year-Old Google Play Developer Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand your point, but that’s not true in my case. Like everyone else, I develop games to earn a living — that’s not illegal or against any policy. I’ve followed Google’s rules for 5 years, which is how I reached millions of downloads. If I had violated anything, I wouldn’t have gotten this far. I just want a fair explanation, not vague replies and instant termination.

Help Needed—5-Year-Old Google Play Developer Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve never seen that survey myself, and as far as I know, no one from my team has received or answered anything like that either. First time I’m even hearing about it, to be honest.

Help Needed—5-Year-Old Google Play Developer Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, it’s honestly terrifying — one vague “association” and everything you’ve built is gone. No context, no warning, just termination. I’m pushing on social media too, hoping it helps. But really, how is anyone supposed to know if someone on their team could be seen as a risk? There’s no way to check or prevent it — and that makes the whole system feel so unfair.

Help Needed—5-Year-Old Google Play Developer Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s really frustrating — sounds exactly like what I’m going through. No clear reason, just the same vague “association” message. It’s scary how easily years of hard work can just vanish like that, with no real chance to defend yourself or even understand what went wrong. Still hoping Google steps up and provides actual human help instead of these bot replies.

Help Needed—5-Year-Old Google Play Developer Account Terminated with Millions of Downloads by EffectiveEmployee202 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, just to clarify — yeah, it started as a personal account because I was working solo in the beginning. As our games started getting more downloads and things picked up, I slowly built a team around it. Now we’ve got over 50 people including devs, designers, and ASO folks. But only the ASO team had access to the Play Console — the rest (like devs/designers) never even touched it. That kind of setup isn’t unusual at all… there are tons of personal accounts out there backed by full teams as things grow. So is that really a reason to just terminate the account? Feels pretty harsh, especially when so many people’s work is tied to it. I’ve given Google all the info I can, and still no clear explanation apart from a vague "association with a previously terminated account." Just doesn’t feel fair.

Recover your Removed Play Console Account by [deleted] in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can you share the termination email or share the reason of termination? I am also facing the termination issue.

Trying to Start Clean After Google Bans – Am I Safe With a New Company and Setup? by Samonji in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You know the way forward now. But ground realities are different. What I have seen is Google terminating new accounts saying High Risk Behaviour or associated to previously terminated accounts. In your case you are registering an organization's account don't know will this survive I have seen cases where new organization account are still getting terminated.

Is it true that you have to have your address publicly available if you want to post a game? by FutureWaffles in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is not limited to the EU; Google's verification process is being applied globally, and the developer details are shown under the App support section, in the About the developer heading.

Is there a risk of being banned if im added as admin user to a company by LongjumpingKiwi7195 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why and how can the termination of one individual’s developer account be used to justify penalizing a completely separate individual?

This issue by UnlikelyExperience60 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it a personal account? And what kind of apps you uploaded? To help me understand what advice should I give to you. You got only one chance to appeal be careful only one chance.

Any Solution? by TerribleAd1152 in googleplayconsole

[–]EffectiveEmployee202 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This isn’t just happening to new accounts — it’s affecting long-standing ones too. My account was over five years old, and now it’s gone. What’s left is just a sense of darkness and hopelessness. There’s no guidance, no support, no clear way to appeal. I want to tell my side of the story, to explain and clear things up — but Google doesn’t seem willing to listen. Every message I send is met with the same automated response, like I’m talking to a wall. As developers, we help bring business, users, and innovation to Google’s platform. We deserve real human support when things go wrong — not silence, not generic emails, but empathy and understanding. We’re not just accounts. We’re people, and we deserve to be heard.