Telegraph UK reported that search-engine giant Google, the proud owners of YouTube, were demanded to give up ALL of their users' information...that is correct. This started mainly because of a suit brought on by media juggernaut Viacom, who accuses Google/YouTube of hosting copyrighted information on the site. Google will have to hand information over to Viacom such your log-in details, viewing history, and the IP address from which you surf. I hope either A.) you didn't view any copyrighted movies or B.) you are using a proxy server to mask your IP and surf anonymously.
The EFF website also has some information on this subject, which it is calling a "setback to privacy rights." Viacom owns MTV and Paramount Pictures (among others) and is demanding this information because copyrighted programs have been appearing on YouTube and has led to an "explosion of copyright infringement." Googling is countering the $1 billion lawsuit by saying it already goes above and beyond any legal expectations to remove copyrighted materials...a strategy which hopefully works out, especially since I don't think I know a single person who doesn't go on YouTube.
Viacom has stated they want the user details so they can statistically compare original videos with copyrighted videos to show "the attractiveness of allegedly infringing video with that of non-infringing video" (I smell something...it smells a lot like b.s.).
I am just glad that Google does have the firepower to fight back against Viacom and that the EFF has also made their stance clear. I do not need my log-in details and IP address taken hostage so that a "statistical analysis" can be done. How does my personal information help Viacom conduct these studies? IT DOESN'T. Viacom promises not to pursue legal action against people who watch copyrighted content...so I guess we can trust them since they said they wouldn't do it. That has never happened before, why would a huge company like Viacom lie?
While Google has been involved in some privacy rights issues recently I am glad to see they are stepping up and fighting back. They are requesting to encrypt and anonymize the logs before sending them over to Viacom so that individual users are not prosecuted, but so that a statistical analysis can be done anonymously.
1 comment:
This is a complete invasion of privacy on the part of Viacom and our user information doesn’t have any relevance to their billion dollar lawsuit against Google. Google should be able to anatomize the user information before handing over 12 terabytes of personal information so my privacy and the privacy of millions like me are protected. I have a campaign that will force Viacom to allow Google/YouTube to protect us or 100,000 will boycott Viacom and all its subsidiaries: https://www.thepoint.com/campaign...ou-tube- privacy
Post a Comment