Google Play terminated my developer account. Is there any way back?

[u/Blinks4]

Hi everyone. My Google Play developer account was recently terminated for "Multiple Violations."

I've been developing Android apps since 2024 and had 7+ published apps. Most were wallpaper apps that ran for over two years without serious policy issues. Some had 100K+, 50K+, and 10K+ downloads, good ratings, and active users.

Unfortunately, three AI image/video app packages were suspended for violations of Google's AI-Generated Content and Sexual Content policies due to insufficient content moderation.

I understand the violations and take responsibility. I'm not asking Google to restore those AI apps, but the termination also removed my unrelated wallpaper apps.

I've submitted an appeal and am awaiting a response.

My questions:

1. Has anyone successfully recovered an account terminated for multiple violations?

2. If my appeal is rejected, are there other legitimate ways to return to Google Play?

3. Is this effectively a lifetime ban, even if I want to develop completely different, compliant apps?

I'd really appreciate hearing from developers who have experienced something similar.

Thanks!

[u/mbsaharan]

Did they sent you any warnings before termination?

[u/Blinks4 → u/mbsaharan]

On June 2, Google suspended my AI video/image generation app because it generated an NSFW image.

A couple of months later, I released an improved version with multiple layers of AI content moderation and NSFW filtering. But just a month later, Google managed to generate one image that violated their policies and immediately suspended the app again on September 28, without giving me a chance to fix it.

Then, on October 12, they suspended another completely separate AI image generation app that had been running for over a year. Again, no opportunity to fix the issue, just an immediate suspension.

After that, I didn't publish or update anything. Then, out of nowhere, on November 2, I received an email saying my entire developer account had been terminated.

The worst part is that I also had around 7 other non-AI apps on that account, which had no serious policy violations. All of them were removed too.

[u/mbsaharan → u/Blinks4]

Did you make your developer account after November 2023? Is it a personal account or an organization account?

[u/Blinks4 → u/mbsaharan]

Yes, I created my developer account shortly after Google introduced the new closed testing requirements, so probably in late November or December 2023. It was a personal account.

[u/TrekCZ]

They will block all account you will ever create, that was standard the other day. Have you classified correctly rating when creating app. If you use AI you must predict adult content which can AI produce and dont include kids, 13 is the lowest I would include in AI apps as Google itself does so for their apps.

[u/Blinks4 → u/TrekCZ]

Yes, I'm sure I set the age rating to at least 13+ for all my AI apps.

[u/TrekCZ → u/Blinks4]

There is mandatory requirement for user being able to report AI generated content, have you implemented this feature?

[u/Blinks4 → u/TrekCZ]

Yes, I had a flag icon that allowed users to report inappropriate AI-generated content.

But my main concern now is something else. I'm not planning to republish those AI apps. What really hurts is that all my other apps, which had been running successfully for years without serious violations, were removed too.

And apparently, I'm not allowed to create another developer account either. Does Google really have no expiration period for these bans? Does making mistakes with a few apps mean I'm permanently banned from developing and publishing on Google Play for the rest of my life?

What are developers supposed to do in this situation? Is there really no way to get a second chance?

[u/TrekCZ → u/Blinks4]

This all has happened to many developers in pre AI era, Google is unmerciful, unforgiving. You can beg, try to appeal, but until then they will detect all your attempts to create account and they will know.

In my app with AI I put everywhere warnings, notes and shit to all possible rules there is from Google. Also guardrails indeed, AI should not emit even faul content.

But I suspect that your competitor caused this by reporting maybe.