I guess my point was simply that "important enough" is a bar so high, virtually no one is likely to meet it. In my own case, my application was making just shy of $50k/yr when it was shut down without expressed reason, notice, or appeals process. Even in that situation, the lawyers said it wasn't worth it. Given the lost income, I was probably at the top 5% of people for a potential claim for damages, so what chance does the super majority of people really have if Google gives them the middle finger?

I'm really not anti-Google, and I hope I don't read like I am. In general, I do really like their services, technologies, etc. My sole complaint is simply that if you have a problem with them, they flip the bird and disappear. You have no ability to even try to reason with them. They are like the "Judge Dredd" of internet services. Once they decided on something (completely without any input from you), it's done and you're f---ed. They don't even bother to pretend otherwise, the "We are unable to provide further details regarding this issue" pretty much proves that.

As someone who had my Android developer account down without explanation, I can attest to the lack of redress. They shut down my developer account for "violating the Terms of Service." I had a banking application and when I asked what I did that violated their ToS, they replied back with (emphasis mine):

Thank you for your replies. We have completed the review of your appeal. Your Android Market Publisher account has been suspended due to repeat violations of our Terms of Service. You may view these terms here: http://www.android.com/us/developer-distribution-agreement.html http://www.android.com/market/terms/developer-content-policy.html We will not be restoring your account at this time. Please note that Android Market Publisher suspensions may span multiple account registrations and related Google services. Should your account become reinstated, we will notify you. We are unable to provide further details regarding this issue . Please do not register another new developer account. We recommend your utilizing an alternative application distribution system and payment method for future orders.

So basically, they shut down my account, but are unable to provide any details why. In speaking with lawyers, it is simply not cost effective to try to sue them. I would spend far more in lawyer fees than I could ever hope to earn back. Verizon and Amazon both specifically requested my application for their stores, and it is still happily listed and selling in them.

Proof is irrelevent. What counts is the credit card company has one standard response to this sort of thing and there is no appeal process for the merchant.

That is absolutely false. I have both worked at a major bank, and contested charges on my own card. The banks take the complaint back to the merchant and give the merchant a chance to respond. They then give the customer a change to respond, and back and forth until a final decision can be made. From personal experience, that decision does not always go the way of the complaining customer.

I used to work for a company with an offshore team. The offshore team was located in India. They made it a point to stress that they had to be out by a certain time. Our company chartered a bus for the employees to ride on. If the employees missed the bus, they had to take a taxi. The taxis were considered not safe. They told us they were always afraid of being robbed when they were in the taxis and preferred the bus instead because it had armed guards. Can't speak to you, but I'm pretty sure most people in America don't have to deal with that situation. Granted, they were in Bangladore instead of Mumbai.

The issue that grandparent poster was getting at is that the vast majority of the rhetoric that goes toward protecting the children is directed against the minority of the risk. The fact that it is hard to deal with the bigger risk (parents and relatives) should not excuse the powers-that-be from having to acknowledge it.