Should online platforms be required to provide an explanation when they suspend or ban a user? It's not a rhetorical question but one that I continue to ask myself in the wake of being "cancelled" by Actors Access/Breakdown Services this past month.
To review the situation: I received no explanation from their support email after they declined posting my casting call, I encouraged my followers to write in politely on my behalf for reconsideration, and days later in response the service disabled my accounts. I've since written in for a refund for the part of the service I paid a yearly fee for and have yet to receive a response from that inquiry either.
It's not the first time I've been banned from a platform with no explanation and I doubt it will be the last. On an emotional level, I feel these corporations should be required to provide a clear reason why they kick someone off their service. On a practical note, I wonder how realistic that is and if it's a fair/legal requirement. It seems that platforms hold all the cards and there is no accountability to the user. For example, tomorrow a service like Facebook or Instagram could theoretically decide to eliminate my account, lock me out, and I'd lose years of promotional work I've done for my movies. I'd hope that they wouldn't take such an extreme action (especially since I've never even received a temporary suspension on their platform) but ultimately they could if they wanted to. And would there be anything to prevent them from doing so? Could the same thing happen with my Gmail account? Could I wake up one day and be locked out with no ability to access years of communications I've had with folks?
After being banned by two businesses, it's a scary prospect and I wonder if the time/energy that some of us put into these digital platforms might one day just go to waste with the simple click of a mouse. Still, I don't know what the right answer is but I think the question needs to be asked more frequently and that a discussion on a higher, national or even international level should occur.