● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 negative
Google Blogger locks hundreds of legitimate blogs due to malware false positive
Key points
- Hundreds of Blogger sites locked since August 4.
- Automated systems misclassified legitimate blogs as malicious.
- Affected users see a red padlock and a "blog has been locked" warning.
- Some blogs were restored then deleted again.
Automated System Flags Legitimate Blogs
Google's Blogger platform has locked hundreds of websites after an automated system incorrectly identified them as violating the "Malware and Similar Malicious Content" policy. The issue began on August 4, affecting numerous legitimate blogs that do not host malware or malicious scripts. Some of these sites have also been permanently deleted from the platform.
User Impact and Frustration
Web administrators have reported the problem on Google's official forums, with over 300 users indicating they have the same issue. Affected users see a red padlock in their Blogger dashboard and a warning stating, "Note: this blog has been locked." The message also informs publishers that their blogs could be permanently deleted within three months if no appeal is submitted. While locked, owners cannot access dashboard tabs for managing posts, settings, or themes.
Scale of the Issue
A Blogger Product Expert noted that false positives occur, but not on this scale, suggesting a significant misclassification by automated systems. Some users reported that their blogs were restored after an appeal, only to be deleted again later. The exact number of sites hosted on Blogger is not publicly disclosed by Google, though third-party trackers estimate close to 200,000 sites use the platform.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
Google's automated systems incorrectly flagged and locked hundreds of legitimate Blogger websites for violating its "Malware and Similar Malicious Content" policy, with some sites subsequently deleted. This incident has prevented blog owners from accessing their dashboards and managing their content, causing widespread frustration among users.