Mastodawn

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

This is a public service announcement to never ever use Oracle

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

After realizing that my servers were offline since the 25th of January 2025, I've been in contact with Oracle support in a multitude of ways trying to figure out why this happened and how we can recover both the account and data.

I wasn't told that my account was disabled. I didn't receive an E-Mail or anything. When logging in, I was simply told that my username or password was incorrect. After (successfully) resetting my password twice, I realized it wasn't about the password. Oracle had just deleted my account without any notice.

Both through calls and text, always with the same service request (SR) number, I contacted support. Initially, support told me that my account was flagged “Inactive” and hence disabled. They also verified that they saw me login almost daily and that I never missed a payment or anything. Even if an account was inactive, that's never a reason to disable it, especially without any warning E-Mail or an E-Mail letting me know that my account was disabled in the first place.

This chat was the result of all of that, where the highest team I've yet been elevated to told me that there's nothing they can do about it, there's no reason they can tell me for why this happened, and there's no one else I could ask.

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

I also love how I ask “Is there anything I can do to avoid this happening in the future?” and they respond with “Oh, don't worry. You don't have a future at Oracle. This will not happen to you again, as we don't allow for you to make another account.”

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

The tech person at Oracle at least lets me know that they'd feel similarly betrayed and dislike this handling of user data too 🥲✊

Don't worry: I have backups of all of this. It's just kafkaesque what is happening here.

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

Interestingly, two days before Oracle deleted my account and all servers associated with it, I publicly criticized Oracle's CEO in a viral post for promising dystopian AI surveillance technology to his investors.

https://mastodon.de/@ErikUden/113879369270806353

What a weird coincidence.

Erik Uden 🍑 (@ErikUden@mastodon.de)

Day three of Trump's term and the largest push for surveillance capitalism yet has been made: **Project Stargate** will be a $500.000.000.000 (*500 billion USD*) data center used for running a multitude of AIs with the purpose of spying on you. Larry Ellison, the world's second richest man and CEO of Oracle, one of the main partners of Stargate, said: > “Citizens will be on their best behavior, because we're constantly recording and reporting everything that's going on [...]. We're using A.I. to monitor the video.” — Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle on how the company's A.I. systems will be used for in the future [[Source: Business Insider](https://archive.ph/2Ck66)] This is who is in power now. This is the vision they have.

MastodonDE

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 2

Moving these servers, despite having no long term impact like data loss, will have some financial impact. Don't feel forced to, your vocal support about this issue was more than enough to turn my evening from a bad to a wonderful one, however if you have the financial resources I'd be happy about a little support:

https://mastodon.de/@ErikUden/113931409953809719

Where will this money go to ;)?

Erik Uden 🍑 (@ErikUden@mastodon.de)

It's the beginning of the month again and that means new bills for the servers (*which we now have to partially move due to Oracle*)! We have [various expenses](https://mastodon.de/@MastodonDE/110811119053549314) and moderation work unfortunately takes up a lot of time, which is why we would be very happy about a little support! :boost_requested: - :liberapay: [LiberaPay](https://liberapay.com/MastodonDE) - :paypal: [PayPal](https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=7CZ4CXZ2L32R8) - :kofi: [Ko-Fi](https://ko-fi.com/MastodonDE) - :patreon: [Patreon](https://patreon.com/MastodonDE) Our services will always remain free, but support so that the whole thing can run in the long term and finance itself is welcome :blobcatmeltlove: For a [longer explanation of the costs and other donation options, look here](https://mastodon.de/@MastodonDE/110811119053549314)!

MastodonDE

TLS (Terrestrial Lovable Scoundrel)Feb 1

@ErikUden It's so unfortunate to hear that.

I hope you get everything in order and aren't too hurt by these series of events.

Christian Gudrian Feb 1

@ErikUden Not long ago I would have considered it paranoid to draw a connection here…

Dźwiedziu Feb 1

@ErikUden
Oh. Teh. Lulz.

Edit: found the GDPR thread below.

Also, isn't GDPR applicable here? (I had also a account deleted with the reason of “we can't tell you” (and it happened while I was asking for help with the registration) and the help desk ignored my questions for data. But I had other problems and did not get very far.)

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

@dzwiedziu You're absolutely right. I've sent a GDPR request immediately. The EU stands against kafkaesque practices.

Greengordon Feb 1

Welcome to the oligarchy!

"Interestingly, two days before Oracle deleted my account and all servers associated with it, I publicly criticized Oracle's CEO in a viral post for promising dystopian AI surveillance technology to his investors."

"What a weird coincidence."

Ch M[ae][iy]e?r 🇪🇺 🖤 🤍Feb 1

@ErikUden oh. I was already wondering whether you had annoyed NSA, Trump or someone of his friends. ...

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

@chbmeyer a post I recently made was reposted and only through a friend of mine seeing it I realized it had 3.8 million views on Reddit. To this day I'm being sent Instagram posts by other accounts reposting that daily through friends or because these accounts tag me.

It's easy (and even appreciated by me) when my posts leave this platform. I don't think I've angered anyone, I'm way too irrelevant. However, when arbitration is the norm, a small act like this can easily be pushed under the rug.

I guess the problem rather is that it may as well be true. Since we're given no explanation, or rather a refusal to explain what happened here by Oracle, we must come up with what sounds like a conspiracy.

Do I believe there's really a connection here? 99.9% sure there isn't. Is it possible for any AI to scan the internet for criticics and make their life harder? Sure is. Is it most likely Oracle's arbitrary practices? Yeah.

This could've happened to anyone, a critic, fan, or someone who's indifferent to Oracle. That's almost worse than it only happening to someone critical of their CEO.

Tom Walker Feb 1

@ErikUden @chbmeyer I think you're way underestimating the possibility that someone there saw the post (probably on Reddit etc), saw your relatively unusual name, found the account and banned it

@ErikUden @chbmeyer maybe it's completely unrelated to your free speech criticism of the CEO but rather a technical issue at their end. For instance, your account is corrupted and embarrassingly they have no way to restore it or fix it. Or maybe you were accidentally deleted when in fact it should have been someone else... but they can't restore. So, u get... as we say in the UK... Thrown under the bus! Just a theory mind, I can't imagine criticising a CEO of a mega corp is gonna get you booted.

Billy Smith Feb 2

@JaxxAI @ErikUden @chbmeyer

You don't remember how thin-skinned Larry Ellison is...

All his agressuve behaviour in the 1990's and early 2000's that was aimed at Gates and MS.

Ivor Hewitt Feb 1

@ErikUden it's amazing just how fragile, bitter, vindictive and thin skinned these right wing free speech absolutist capitalists are.

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

@ivor just to be clear, what I'm saying is a baseless accusation. I'm 99.99% sure that they didn't deliberately do this to mess with me. Although it'd be funny if they did. Even worse: maybe Oracle treats everyone like this, criticics and supporters alike.

Andreas Fink Feb 1

@ErikUden @ivor @jhamby invoke the GDPR / Data protection rights and ask for all data they have on you. They must reply by law. Otherwise sue them for damages. Thats the language american corporations at least somewhat understand.

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 2

@afink Will do!

No Gods , no Masters! RESIST Feb 2

@afink
I think that needs to happen Monday along with some massive lawsuits against Elon because he has no business with any of my personal information...
These people are criminals, they are not intelligent.

Martin Vermeer FCD Feb 1

@ErikUden @ivor So they threatened you. We get it 😬

Cassandrich Feb 2

@ErikUden @ivor I'd give it the opposite odds. Oracle has always been a far right entity, and now they're going even fuhrer that direction trying to get TikTok.

verifiedbisexual

@ErikUden And there it is, your reason. Well that was rather easy to figure out. Petty bastards though.

Mojarrison LeRat 🐀 ⁂Feb 1

@ErikUden deletion absolutelly not related with your previous post, for sure*end of sarcasm mode

MvRiederberg Feb 1

@ErikUden You violated obviously the big tech bros mantra: FREE SPEECH – as this means clearly: Free speech for all the fascist leaders and their clans – but not for the people.

@mavori @ErikUden More like FEE speech.

Annika Backstrom Feb 1

@ErikUden what does one do with an Oracle account

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

@annika rent cloud servers. I had one with a Nextcloud instance on it!

@annika @ErikUden Pay for it. That's the Oracle service guarantee: you will 100% be able to pay them whatever it is they decide you owe them every month. If you can do anything else at all, that's gravy.

Aurin Azadî Feb 1

@ErikUden Really, really weird …

„We cannot tell you why your account was deleted, because if we did we would admit that we censor everything that speaks against our boss.“

Parade du Grotesque 💀Feb 1

"Coincidence".

Any US technology provider is suspect from now on. Larry Ellison kissed the Imperial ring.

Sorry about your misadventure.

Justin 😸Feb 1

@ErikUden @stux gotta make room for stargate and TikTok rite?

@ErikUden sounds like someone was not on their best behaviour…

Lazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈Feb 1

@ErikUden the pettiness of these Oligarchs is astounding as it is blatant.

Chris Real Feb 1

Good to remember that they wouldn't have reacted if they didn't think your public statement was a threat to their business.

Cluster Fcku Feb 1

@ErikUden i hear if your tesla won't start in the morning it always helps to reconsider any recent nasty tweeting about the ceo

@ErikUden oh also, oracle has/had a contract with the heritage foundation to build a loyalist database for project 2025.

we honestly should just boycott. what-his-face is also a nazi even though he was raised by a single jewish mother.

Mathaetaes Feb 1

@ErikUden was there any contract in place associated with your payment?

A lawsuit in the US at least has discovery. You could subpoena emails, logs, any records associated with you or your account. You may not win the suit, but you’ll get answers… that you can then make public because Oracle is a shit company and everyone needs to see all their dirty laundry.

Alan Langford 🇨🇦🧤🧊摏 Feb 1

@ErikUden I'm not sure what options you have over there, but here I'd file a claim for damages in Small Claims Court. There's a good chance they wouldn't show and you would get summary damages, which you can then sell to a collection agency, so make it worthwhile. You might also get an organization like the EFF to take up your case and bring some real heat down upon them.

At the very least, tying them up in e-paperwork will cost them, and if everyone so affected did this, they'd be so jammed up that it would be more difficult for them to commit future evils.

@ErikUden interesting, looks like you hurt little Larry's feelings.

I didn't think he had emotions.

katzenberger 🇺🇦Feb 1

I publicly criticized you here and you did not delete my account. Very suspicious… 🤔

Ducky Fella Feb 1

@ErikUden The internet is littered with anecdotes of Oracle deleting stuff with no notice or explanation. Why do people still take the risk?

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

@duckyfella I was warned. I laughed ignorantly in the face of those who had this happen to them. Don't let this be your fate!

Irenes (many)Feb 1

@ErikUden yeah wow that sure does sound "unrelated". wow, that's fucked up.

Irenes (many)Feb 1

@ErikUden thanks for publicizing this.

@ErikUden this may be an interesting thing for the «Vorsicht Kunde» series at @ct_Magazin ?

Mx. Eddie R Feb 1

@ErikUden
Makes me think of a post I read a while back, about how Oracle is like a chainsaw or lawnmower. It doesn't take your foot off because it bears you malice, it's just a thing that can happen. Larry Ellison is the same, you can't anthropomorphise him.

Milcom Miasma Feb 1

Yeah, Uncle Larry's like that - vindictive and petty.

One note, his title at Oracle changed in 2014. He's actually the Chief Technical Officer and Executive Chairman (whatever the hell that means.) Safra Catz is Oracle's CEO.

Roy Brander🇨🇦Feb 1

On the bright side, you can now do the upgrade you should have considered some years back:
https://www.postgresql.org/

PostgreSQL

The world's most advanced open source database.

PostgreSQL

@ErikUden ORACLE: One Rich Asshole Called Larry Ellison.

@ErikUden Woah, that sounds truly dystopian. Reading this I'm thankful for fedi-instances to exist

OpticalNail 🇵🇸Feb 1

Huh.. Rather interesting indeed...

I am very curious how they will legally justify this.

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 2

@arh my lawyers are too.

RedTechEngineer Feb 2

@ErikUden lol, what a huge coincidence.

now @why [☎4236]Feb 1

@ErikUden can't you do a gdrp data request, and see whether that turns anything up?

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

@4censord Will do. The reason parts of the chat are cut out (you can see a ~10 minute gap if you look at the time) was me trying to convince him that as an EU citizen they can't do that to me or at least have to give me insight into my own data, which includes the cloud servers I currently still pay for.

now @why [☎4236]Feb 1

@ErikUden ah, then also check how far into the future they already charged you

Erik Uden 🍑Feb 1

@4censord I was just charged for the month of January and the value looks similar to other months, hence it's not like the last week (since the 25th, ever since I couldn't access / it was "deleted”) was not charged.