Random banhammers everywhere!

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  • I've been traveling a lot lately and your question kind of reminded me of those TSA messages about packing my own bag and keeping my bag in sight. That's not a perfect analogy because we enable players to drop individual items or items in capsules, but it's something I keep in mind. So if our team takes action on your account, please appeal by selecting "I understand" on this article in the Ingress Help Center and a real person (not an algorithm or AI) will re-review the details and your comments, thank you.

  • But are they really Random.Ive seen sooooo many agents, green and blue, claim that they are completely innocent, and they're not. Absolutely not. But they cry foul. And why wouldn't they? If you ARE a cheater why would you NOT try to get over again? And I've seen it all. They'll get other cheaters to say they aren't cheaters. Because usually, nowadays, it's a conglomerate. They got each other's backs. And why wouldn't they? And then one day they'll all get banned on the same day and somehow, it's still a mistake. ****! I'm calling shenanigans! 9 times out of 10, more so even, THEY ARE CHEATERS! Do any of you know how flag algorithms work? They can see the whole game at any time Live if they want to. If they've got the bird on you you're screwed! Stop being bamboozled by these l, claimed upstanding agents. It is rare that they are wrong. Very rare. And not every claim of innocence can be true. Not even close. Think about that.

  • I've been traveling a lot lately and your question kind of reminded me of those TSA messages about packing my own bag and keeping my bag in sight. That's not a perfect analogy because we enable players to drop individual items or items in capsules, but it's something I keep in mind.

    @NianticBrian

    Can you please expand on this? Does this mean don't pickup unknown capsules? At the Kaunas anomaly some one was doing a gear exchange right out side my hotel around 1:00am. Should I have questioned the provenance of this gear? I would never pickup a random physical package at an airport. But I will always pickup a capsule I see on ingress. Should I now keep a list of item ids and where I got them to provide to NIA-OPS in case of a future ban?

    I travel a lot and swap gear a lot. For example a few weeks ago during the Europe NL tour I swapped a Australian NL pin for a bunch of bursters with a local agent. Are we now both on a list somehwere waiting for the next trade?

  • @NianticBrian thanks for engaging - it's good to know that folks are listening! And this is without question a tough balancing act, as you say. Cheaters will usually swear innocence, so the issue is probably more about keeping them from being able to convince everyone else that Niantic is randomly banning innocents. (Which, hopefully, is not happening. Brazil always comes to mind, though.) Anyway, I know you all are working hard, and we all appreciate your commitment to Ingress!

  • edited August 2019

    @NianticBrian I previously made an appeal and it was anounced to be final but i really don't know why i was banned i don't use any other account and i don't spoof and my phone isn't rooted, i have since also made attempts to reply to the message with screenshots of my installed apps but haven't received any reply.

    and the most irritating thing about this all is that I just came back after a year of inactivity and was just about to reach lvl 8.

    And I really don't know why I was banned the only thing i can think of is that i use a custom rom to receive updates for my. phone,

    this is the rom I am using if it matters: [ROM][9.0.0_r37] POSP v2.3 - bacon [OFFICIAL][WEEKLIES]

    posting the title of the page as i can't post links yet.



    kind regards,

    Netherstarfire.

  • SouLPrison3rSouLPrison3r ✭✭✭
    edited August 2019

    @powermark Didn't you get the 3 strike warning or something? Nobody seems to talk about that.. It's all direct ban. What was the point of the 3SS(3 strike system)?

  • It’s been several weeks since my account was terminated. I made an appeal via the automated system but have not heard a reply. I power leveled to 10 just to submit portals and basically never played after that. This was back in March. Someone said it may look like I purchased a level 10 account just to submit portals but this is not the case. I never spoofed, and I can’t think of any other reason for why I could be banned. I literally got to level 10 and just submitted portals. And three months later after I hit level 10, I was banned?

    Agent Hujijolp

  • @SouLPrison3r The 3 strike policy is not in effect yet. And even after it is, there still will be immediate bans.

  • Hello, I was banned while I'm on vacation in Spain. I had just made 2 portal submissions and 2 days later banned. I do not understand why because I only have a level 10 account, I do not use third-party software and I play on the official version of ingress prime. I made a protest ticket and was told that the decision was final without any explanation. Thank you if you can review your decision. 

    Agent delfine35150

  • yo @Lukidus

    I just got banned as well, for literally nothing,

    If i cant appeal, ill never play the game

  • @Lukidus welp, im banned, appeal did nothing, time for me to remove it

  • Oh snoes, you too huh. Ban's still going, or so it seems >_>

  • @Lukidus yep they got me, but i dont care anymore, they didnt even look into my account, straight up said this

    Some common reasons for termination include, but are not limited to:


    * Using modified or unofficial software

    * Using tools or techniques to alter or falsify your location

    * Selling or trading accounts

    * Using multiple accounts


    Eventho i never did anything, thanks niantic for ruining the community, the game has been removed, and will possibly never be installed again,

    Makes it even worse that you ban 2 week old accounts from kids, just shows how sad yall are

    Banning kids makes me pissed, espacially when they JUST started playing, since that just shows how rude your "Moderation" is, you guys dont care about anything,

    I never used modified software

    Never used tools to spoof location

    Never even sold accounts(and i cant, since its my main account)

    And i dont use multiple accounts,

    hope yall have a great time with banning, seems like you guys love doing that huh


    @NianticAkshay @NianticAustin @NianticBrian @NianticCasey @NianticChiaki

  • ArtilectZedArtilectZed ✭✭✭✭✭

    My 78 year old father has been softbanned for the last few months, for the same generic reasons everyone else is getting. Support auto-closes the appeals he's made. He couldn't attend the First Saturday event I hosted last weekend. I know Niantic tells some people that they have a 95% positive ban rate, but that sounds like a massive joke at this point.

  • Thank you for getting back to me @NianticBrian. So far so good on my end. I got a little worried yesterday but prime was down, but redacted still worked. Again, thank you it means a lot. I tried talking to the other agent & has since ignored everything. So I am taking it that hes guilty of the TOS violations sadly. Since I'm still new I can't reply with the links as of yet. If I face anything I will follow your instructions. Thank you!

  • With all likelihood NIA is using Big Data Analytics to examine large amounts of data to uncover hidden patterns, correlations and other insights. This goes back all the way to the 1950's and has been a way that companies work smarter, faster and more efficient. The problem with the analysis is always finding the correct signals in the noise, trying to analyze data that has nothing to do with each other, inaccurate data and a lack of skilled data analysts that can make sense of the data.

    As a Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, I can tell you that no system is 100% accurate but how that data is used is based on the goal of the organization. In this case enforcing the TOS and Community Guidelines

    If we are trying to protect the company we would take stronger measures and accept the higher false positives (potentially). But where this data effects people we have remember that what we don't want to do is make law breakers out of law abiding citizens.

    If NIA's goal is to protect users and have set that acceptable false positive level at 5% then that is their right. I may not agree with it but I do think that should be made very clear that the "appearance" of any TOS or Community Guideline that triggers their detection algorithm may result in a ban.

    While I too have been hit with this ban and not been able to make a successful appeal, I have no choice but abide by their decision - right or wrong in my opinion. That said, I'm no saint, I started playing on a Note 5 (notoriously bad drifty GPS), I have said things in Comms I regret; traded / picked up gear and capsules (some likely questionable in hindsight); destroyed, hacked portals and deployed from a helicopter; traveled by private plane from my hometown to Michigan and other cities (12+ hours by commercial - 3 hours in a Golden Eagle) and all around the Southeast.

    I know I am going to get flamed, but I say all the above to remind everyone that unfortunately we are all going to have to be on our "absolutely best behavior" and make sure we follow the TOS and Community Guidelines to the letter and ask ourselves before we take any in game actions - is this something that NIA might mistake as an infraction - we must do this or risk being banned.

    My 2 cents. Let the flaming begin!!!

  • I wonder if its banning people for "multiple accounts" for using the same Wifi points other players have used.

  • JosmanuJosmanu ✭✭✭

    what the hell i hope not, ive shared my internet to others...i was banned once for who knows what, not going to start over again if i get banned twice for unlogical reasons

  • The WiFi APs / hotspots are possible. As someone that works at a University and played on University WiFi and City Wide WiFI, there is a real risk if the WiFi is setup to do port address translation (same IP address but in and out on different ports) that NIA could mistake it for multiple accounts, that is particularly true if you play with a group of Agents on the same WiFi. That is where a human doing a quality control check is needed on the NIA side. That level of QA / QC also requires a human to constantly monitor and tweek the algorithm for these type of issues and also requires reaching out to users for testing. I can't speak to their testing methodology as I don't work for NIA, but it takes a lot of time and hard work to get a data analysis system working correctly. The Analysts I know that can do that level of review get paid $100K+ annually. With as many bans as have happened and depending on the number of high level analysts available, reviews could take weeks or months if they want to get below a 1% false positive via corrective action.

    I started a new account and no longer play with other Agents, talk in the Comms, trade gear, only use cellular data, etc. and that is unfortunate as this game was meant to be social and a shared experience. Also, if I go to events, I will not be trading or accepting gear and will just take direction via Comms or use a off game communication channel. And yes, I will delete my new account if they ever reinstate my old.

    Like I said, unfortunately, based on TOS and Community Guidelines strict enforcement, we are going to have to be on our absolute best behavior and watch our in game actions.

    As painful as it is, give NIA a chance, they are new to this and still learning and I know they are trying to do the right thing.

  • It has to be clear if wifi mobile data sharing can signal a problem like multiple accounts, I share my mobile data with up to 2 players on certain days. I'm afraid of taking ban now ...

  • looks like its all about item buying and selling.

  • GlenuendoGlenuendo ✭✭✭✭

    I was hoping it was for multi-accounting and spoofing. Bummer.

  • mortuusmortuus ✭✭✭✭✭

    i think its for that aswell and not just buying and selling..

  • Yup!! Nobody is safe. Why can't Ingress dev's be a bit more chill like PGO dev's ... and their tos as well..

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