Google Blogger False Positive Disrupts Hundreds of Legitimate Sites

"Today's huge number of reports regarding blogs flagged/locked for the same reason suggests misclassification by automated systems," a Blogger Product Expert wrote, noting that "False positives do occur from time to time, but not on this scale."

Blogger's automated malware classification under fire

On August 4, Google began locking hundreds of Blogger sites after automated systems flagged them for violating the platform's "Malware and Similar Malicious Content" policy. Affected publishers report a large red padlock appearing in their Blogger dashboards with a warning that begins: "Note: this blog has been locked." The automated warnings instruct owners that "This blog was removed for violating Blogger's Community Guidelines. If you wish to request a review of the blog, click 'Request Review' below," and add that blogs can be permanently deleted within the next three months if no appeal is submitted.

What affected publishers report about access and triggers

While a blog is locked, its owner cannot access the dashboard tabs used to manage posts, settings, themes, or other parts of the site, several publishers told BleepingComputer via forum posts. One publisher reported that "The removal happens automatically after updating the homepage or making changes to the blog template." Some users say their blogs were restored and then deleted again, adding to confusion and frustration.

How publishers are seeking help — and what the support thread shows

Hundreds of web administrators reached out on Google's official Blogger forum to request help restoring access to their blogs. The central forum post observed by BleepingComputer has garnered more than 300 "I have the same question" votes and over 100 replies from publishers reporting similar locks and deletions. Not all Blogger users are affected, and some who submitted appeals are already seeing their blogs come back online.

Scale: hundreds affected, platform footprint unclear

The immediate number of blogs impacted appears to be in the hundreds, reflected in the volume of forum complaints, but Google has not published platform-wide hosting statistics. The company "has never disclosed the numbers" of sites hosted on Blogger, the reporting notes, while some third-party trackers suggest close to 200,000 sites may be hosted on the platform. The exact count of affected blogs and the breadth of the misclassification remain unspecified.

What this means for technologists, publishers, and policymakers

• Technologists and security teams: automated classification systems are implicated directly; the volume of similar reports prompted a public remark from a Blogger Product Expert acknowledging misclassification as a likely cause. Those responsible for platform detection will watch whether Google alters automated rules or review workflows.
• Content publishers and site owners: many cannot access essential dashboard controls while a blog is locked, and the platform warning states a three‑month window before possible permanent deletion if no appeal is submitted. Some owners report that routine template or homepage updates can trigger removal, and a subset have experienced repeated restorations followed by deletions.
• Policymakers and platform regulators: a concentrated false positive event on a major hosting platform raises questions about scale, notice, and appeal processes — matters underscored by the persistent forum activity and the absence of a public Google statement at the time of reporting.

Google was contacted for a statement and the reporter said they would update the story when the company responds. For now, the record shows an automated system locking and, in some cases, deleting blogs, a high-volume public support thread, and at least one internal acknowledgment from a Blogger Product Expert that the scale of the problem points to misclassification. The central unanswered items — how many sites were truly affected, the exact cause inside the automated systems, and what safeguards will be changed — remain to be addressed as the story develops.

Original reporting: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-blogger-locks-hundreds-of-blogs-in-malware-false-positive/