The incident occurred during the COVID pandemic, which has closed many doctors’ offices. The New York Times first reported the incident.
According to The New York Times, the father noticed something unusual about his child’s genital area and sent photos for remote diagnosis at the request of his pediatrician’s office. Since he sent the photos via Gmail, Google had access to them and could scan them for potential criminal activity.
Google’s algorithm detected the nude images, which immediately locked the account. The case was then referred to the authorities, who began an investigation but quickly closed it because the father had not committed any crime. The police obtained all the information Google had about him and decided that it did not constitute child abuse or exploitation.
Regardless of the decision, the father’s Google account was still locked for sharing the nude photos.
Even when the father appealed to Google Chinese American Phone Number List again, providing the police report that declared him innocent, Google refused. His account was then permanently deleted due to inactivity.
This Google account is gone forever.
What does this mean for every Gmail user?
TL;DR: Be careful: if you send nude photos via Gmail, your entire account may be blocked.
Google has an automated tool to detect child abuse images. AI scans every Gmail message for abusive material, like images of naked children. The system is very broad, so even if you share photos of your naked kids at the beach or in the bathtub with your family, the system could flag your Google account for sharing child pornography.
