We all should know by now that anything Google owns is not private, is stored into Eternity and we cannot reach a human pulse at Google to discuss anything, not by phone or email. As good as Gmail gets in functions, we gotta realize our inputted and received data are not ours if/and Google can suddenly take away your access to "your" email account at anytime. In my case, I had an early Gmail account from when that did not require a referral, so, some 18 years...
As is the Big Brother Plan, we get sucked into the ease and reliability of Gmail functions, so we use it. We use it for more and more. As I did for some career and personal contacts.
Avoiding my detailed history of the past three weeks of try after try to reach Google, to recover "my" Gmail account and to seek help to get my access back from online forum and site pages, I'll summarize by saying that all input from Google in these efforts has been only automated and in first notifying me upon login that Google thinks I used some unknown device, which is not true. This is where the frolicking through Google sites & links began and led me through mazes of potential hopeful ends, but all turned out circuitous and to no avail.
Knowing your Gmail address and password for 18 years isn't enough. Some odd security question was raised -- as if I'd recall that answer from 2002! So, still, no access. Stuck. No human pulse at Google to ring.
Gist = as nice and cozy Gmail [and Google products] can be, a lifetime of contacts, communications, photos, documents, legal records, etc can, at anytime, be snatched from you... even you who gave away your cell phone number for "security" ID of your account.
X Files = Trust No One. I can't argue with that. If I ever get back into my Gmail, all contacts and selected content will be extracted. Still searching for a good though private secure substitute in an email server. Done with Big Brother.