I'm no longer able to edit the above comment, so to elaborate on #1:
Following is a comment[1] by Moisey Uretsky in another thread[2]:
> Depending on which items are flagged the account is put into a locked state, which means that access is limited. However, the droplets for that account and other services are not affected at all. The account is also notified about the action and a dialogue is opened, to determine what the situation is. There is no sudden loss of service. There is no loss of service without communication. If after multiple rounds of communication it is determined that the account is fraudulent, even then there is no loss of service that isn't communicated well in advance of the situation.
What he said in an other thread, and this thread, is press release, marketing. Don't trust what he says to save his business. You have absolutely no reason to.
I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt, though a clear explanation of why the above policy was not followed seems warranted. (It also doesn't appear to have been followed in several other instances reported by other former customers in various HN threads.)
If DO reserves the right to cut off services and access to your own data permanently and without warning (outside of a court order or confirmed illegal activity), that needs to be unequivocally stated, and the triggering factors should be made known. Otherwise, DO is not fit for production systems.
Additionally, it would be nice to see the creation of a transparent, high-level appeal process for customers affected by suspensions. Truly malicious customers wouldn't use it (what would they hope to successfully argue to an actual human reviewer?), but it would greatly benefit legitimate customers to have an outlet other than social media by which to "get something done" in the event of an inappropriate suspension followed by a breakdown in the standard review process.
Following is a comment[1] by Moisey Uretsky in another thread[2]:
> Depending on which items are flagged the account is put into a locked state, which means that access is limited. However, the droplets for that account and other services are not affected at all. The account is also notified about the action and a dialogue is opened, to determine what the situation is. There is no sudden loss of service. There is no loss of service without communication. If after multiple rounds of communication it is determined that the account is fraudulent, even then there is no loss of service that isn't communicated well in advance of the situation.
1. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18296344
2. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18294940
This is why I'm so confused by the case under discussion, because the customer appeared to have been completely locked out without warning.