AI Studio UI blocked after free quota exceeded – "failed list models: denied" (UK account)

Hi,

I’m experiencing an issue with Google AI Studio UI access.

Timeline:

  • I created a new Google account in the UK and started using Google AI Studio (free tier).
  • Around Jan 23–25, I exceeded the free quota once.
  • Since then, AI Studio UI has been inaccessible.

Symptoms:

  • When opening AI Studio, the normal interface flashes briefly.
  • Then I get: “failed list models: denied”
  • After that, the page redirects to “Available regions for Google”, even though I am in the UK.
  • Google Cloud Console works normally.
  • I am not using VPN, and IP location shows UK.

Notes:

  • I do not want to enable billing or use API keys.
  • I understand free tier limits, but I would like to know:
    • Is this a temporary restriction?
    • Will access be restored automatically after quota reset?
    • Or is billing required to recover UI access?

I previously tried Issue Tracker, but was advised this is not a bug issue.

Thanks for any clarification.