cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/40292905

A small business owner in B.C. is demanding answers from one of the biggest companies in the world after his Google Business Profile was suddenly disabled without warning.

Jonathan Guy, a Navy veteran who has lived in B.C. for 17 years, is the owner of Chilliwack-based Veteran Heating and Cooling Inc.

Guy used his 15 years of experience in the HVAC industry to open Veteran in 2023, and things were going swimmingly until he received a message from Google on Feb. 6, 2025

“Google unexpectedly disabled our Google Business Profile without any prior warning or explanation,” Guy told Daily Hive. “We received an email stating that the account was disabled and no longer visible to customers.

“They hold an undeniable monopoly over online search and business visibility. Let’s be honest — show me a person who doesn’t use Google. The platform has become the ‘gatekeeper’ of customer traffic, revenue, and livelihoods. So, when Google makes an inaccurate or unfair decision, it can destroy businesses overnight. This affects not only owners but also employees, suppliers, and subcontractors who rely on steady work.”

“Approximately one month after submitting our appeal with all the required documentation, we received a rejection notice. We feel the suspension and the appeal decision were made by AI because a real person can easily research our company to see if it’s real. AI assumes that the business isn’t legit.”