Seconding everyone else above, false bans are absolutely an issue that has and continues to affect hundreds of players. There are several ways this happens, such as with the now fixed applying update bug, but the most common way this happens is through the Defense Matrix system, especially back in May when it was most aggressive. In fact, there was a megathread created by player Duu008 on April 16th that had over five thousand views and almost five hundred comments documenting players who had been falsely and permanently banned due to the overactive Defense Matrix system, which was an issue a developer outright acknowledged and promised to fix. Link here:
https://twitter.com/SrslyPaladin/status/1648482888038633473
While, that thread was deleted on May 10th by the forum moderator Toraldon, there are partial backups of the first megathread, which you can view on the WayBackMachine. Links here:
https://web.archive.org/web/*/https:/us.forums.blizzard.com/en/overwatch/t/falsely-banned-accounts/807864*
You can see the aftermath of that thread’s deletion here:
https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/overwatch/t/the-competitive-bugs-megathread/696580/365
It appears the forum moderators don’t enjoy it when player discussion starts turning to legal action against Blizzard. After this first megathread was deleted, a second megathread was created the day after, but that too was quickly deleted. Since then, players have continued to create forum posts about their permanently banned accounts, but many are deleted.
And while the over aggression of the Defense Matrix system was eventually fixed, the switch from manual review to automated review means that any player can be falsely and permanently banned if they are targeted by mass reporting. There are too many cases to count, but you can find them just by scrolling the bug forums, such as this recent one.
https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/overwatch/t/account-banned-with-false-acusation/863223
You can find additional threads in the competitive bugs megathread under the subcategory: False Suspension And Ban. Link here:
https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/overwatch/t/the-competitive-bugs-megathread/696580
As for how these bans can be overturned, there are only two known methods. The first is through directly messaging a developer on Twitter. While it is possible for developers to respond to these messages, it is extremely unlikely. The second method is by appealing the ban through customer support. However, reporting issues too frequently or issues they cannot solve does run the risk of being threatened with account silences and deletions. I can personally attest to that, and you can read more about that in the competitive bugs megathread under the subcategory: Bug Forum Monitoring Updates.
I cannot help feeling frustrated towards this whole situation. It is absolutely true and evident that false bans do occur, and it is a disgrace that the forum moderators continually silence players who speak out about their issues in the one place where their voices are meant to be heard. What’s more infuriating is how players can be unsympathetic or dismissive towards the issues of other players when we should all be helping each other to have our issues acknowledged and resolved. If you want to contribute, please do create your own bug posts sharing details about your issues and reach out to others on other platforms such as Twitter or Reddit. Links here:
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https://twitter.com/chaosrealmsquad/status/1653990707307134989 -
https://www.reddit.com/r/Overwatch/comments/180whl8/defense_matrix_abuse_by_spectating_trolls_any/
If you want to read more about this false permanent account ban situation, please do check out the competitive bugs megathread, which archives and documents almost every competitive bug since the launch of Overwatch 2. I hope this was helpful and informative.
Please help in spreading the word about this megathread and other related threads regarding these issues.
Competitive Bugs Megathread link here: