{"id":"aigc-v0-981b45ba-41a1-52ff-8c86-e449f690addc","title":"Google Cracks Down: Antigravity Users Banned Over OpenClaw Activity Amid 'Malicious Usage' Surge","description":"Discover why Google has begun banning users of its Antigravity platform, particularly those leveraging open-source tools like OpenClaw. This content delves into the reasons behind the surge in 'malicious usage' and the implications for AI development.","timestamp":1771907160,"category":"technology","headline":"Google Cracks Down: Antigravity Users Banned Over OpenClaw Activity Amid 'Malicious Usage' Surge","modifiedHeadline":"Google Bans Users Over AI Tool Activity","subCategories":["scid_b7e786a9"],"region":"IN","bundleMetaData":{"bundleId":"c35cfc57-1bba-4539-a24c-695ea99ac023","bundleTitle":"Mastering AI","cardData":null},"iabCategoryId":"597","fcSummary":"google is restricting accounts using third-party ai tools like openclaw due to \"malicious usage\" impacting its platforms, including gemini ai. the crackdown, affecting even google workspace access, follows a surge in harmful activities targeting google’s ai coding platform. google aims to protect legitimate users and align with industry trends like anthropic's restrictions, while openclaw’s creator joins openai.","summary":"Google bans Antigravity users amid surge in \"malicious usage\" via tools like OpenClaw, impacting AI access & services.","ctaUrl":"https://trends.glance.com/newz/national/IN/en/feedpost-specials/aigc-v0-981b45ba-41a1-52ff-8c86-e449f690addc?byte=true","sourceUrl":"https://trends.glance.com/newz/national/IN/en/feedpost-specials/aigc-v0-981b45ba-41a1-52ff-8c86-e449f690addc?byte=true","bannerImage":"https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/HKV3i7aBAk00.webp","content":"

\n Google is taking a firm stance against what it calls 'malicious usage' of its AI platforms. Users accessing Gemini AI via third-party tools like OpenClaw are facing account restrictions. Learn why this crackdown is happening.\n

AI Platform Bans Emerge

A significant number of users, including those subscribed to Gemini AI Ultra and utilizing the Antigravity platform, have reported being locked out of their

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accounts. These restrictions have extended beyond just the AI models, impacting access to other Google services like Gmail and Google Workspace for some individuals. This abrupt action by Google has caused considerable consternation among affected users, who stated that the bans occurred without prior warning or explicit explanation. The situation highlights a growing concern within the AI development community regarding the use of external tools and their compatibility with proprietary AI platforms.

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Malicious Usage Escalates

Varun Mohan, a former Google Deepmind engineer and CEO of Windsurf, shed light on the situation, revealing that Google has observed a substantial increase in harmful activities targeting the backend of its AI coding platform, Antigravity. Mohan indicated that this surge in 'malicious usage' has severely degraded the quality of service experienced by legitimate users. His comments followed a wave of complaints on the Google AI Developer Forum from Gemini AI Ultra subscribers unable to access the Gemini 2.5 Pro model and associated services. The underlying cause appears to be the utilization of third-party applications, such as OpenClaw, which reportedly violates Google's terms of service and necessitates swift action to curtail such activities.

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Third-Party Tools Scrutinized

Mohan clarified that the necessary steps were taken to promptly disable access for users who were not engaging with the platform as intended. He acknowledged that some users might have been unaware that their actions contravened Google's terms of service and indicated that avenues for reinstatement would be explored, albeit with limited capacity to ensure fairness to actual users. This aligns with broader industry trends, as evidenced by Anthropic's recent update to its Consumer Terms of Service. Anthropic explicitly prohibited the use of OAuth tokens within third-party tools, including their Agent SDK, deeming such actions a violation. This move underscores the increasing competition in the AI sector and the drive towards more controlled and secure AI ecosystems.

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OpenClaw's Viral Rise

The controversy surrounding third-party AI agent tools like OpenClaw has intensified, especially considering the tool's rapid ascent in popularity since its November 2025 debut. OpenClaw, described as an AI assistant capable of managing emails, insurance claims, flight check-ins, and numerous other tasks, has garnered over 100,000 stars on GitHub and attracted millions of visitors in a single week. However, this viral success has also attracted scrutiny. Concerns have been raised about the potential security risks associated with improperly configured agentic AI tools, with China's industry ministry issuing a warning about their susceptibility to cyberattacks and data breaches. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced that Peter Steinberger, the creator of OpenClaw, will join OpenAI to advance personal agent technology, with OpenAI committed to supporting OpenClaw as an open-source project.

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Google Cracks Down: Antigravity Users Banned Over OpenClaw Activity Amid 'Malicious Usage' Surge

SUMMARY