[chabes]

> 4. Customer found that the account was apparently unused and empty

Empty does not equate to unused. This was their old account that they definitely used.

[xp84]

He said in the article that he guessed maybe he used a different account.

This is a lot more believable (esp since he said it) than a conspiracy that PB deleted all photos and built this whole system just to steal $5 a pop -- especially considering how few people must be trying to get back into their 2-decade-old PB accounts in 2026. Hardly seems worth the effort for a scam.

[lutr]

Yes. I don't think I'd uploaded anything on that specific account that I recovered.

[nekusar]

They were underage when they made the account. That's a whole different and big fucking deal. Means any TOS and contracts and shit are basically null and void.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48571946

[xp84]

? What's your point here?

And almost everyone born after 1980 created their first online accounts while they were a minor, including I'm assuming 70% of Photobucket users.