According to BBC News: a US court ruled that Google must release the viewing history of YouTube users to Viacom in order to comply with copyright infringement laws. Google’s legal counsel said: “We will ask Viacom to respect users’ privacy and allow us to anonymise the logs before producing them under the court’s order.”
Apparently, privacy experts find this ruling a tad, uh, frightening:
Leading privacy expert Simon Davies told BBC News that the privacy of millions of YouTube users was threatened.
He said: “The chickens have come home to roost for Google.
“Their arrogance and refusal to listen to friendly advice has resulted in the privacy of tens of millions being placed under threat.”
Mr Davies said privacy campaigners had warned Google for years that IP addresses were personally identifiable information.
Google pledged last year to anonymise IP addresses for search information but it has said nothing about YouTube data.
Mr Davies said: “Governments and organisations are realising that companies like Google have a warehouse full of data. And while that data is stored it is under threat of being used and putting privacy in danger.”
The EFF said: “The Court’s erroneous ruling is a set-back to privacy rights, and will allow Viacom to see what you are watching on YouTube.
“We urge Viacom to back off this overbroad request and Google to take all steps necessary to challenge this order and protect the rights of its users.”
The body said the ruling was also potentially unlawful because the log data did contain personally identifiable data.
No need to be concerned about an “overbroad” ruling, though. The Court considers such concerns to be “speculative.” I mean, it’s not like the government has ever conspired with private companies to commit crimes against the American people and destroy the Constitution or anything.
And now for the real reason why I posted: Make sure Big Brother, Inc. knows you like to check out pole dancing bears!
- Davidson's blog
- Login or register to post comments
- 1+[CSE]+#b94+
Front page
Comments
Going after all viewers or all those logged in?
What I read was all viewers. Yikes.
Why not viewers of the videos they are contesting? This is pretty broad. Like fishing in the all the oceans of the world.
All YouTube viewers
Your ISP address is recorded every time you use YouTube, whether you are logged into an account or not. And yes, the ruling is most broad, to the point where it seems the point isn't really to ensure there are no copyright laws broken but to collect as much data as possible. Private companies know that governments around the world are out to create a surveillance society, even breaking laws, so why not hoard tons of data now to sell later? We know that the Bush administration not only threatened companies to comply with their warrantless wiretapping program but also offered carrots ($$$).
And watch out for record linkage between your personal profiles
See here....
[x] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win. -- Mahatma Gandhi
So--
What's playing on the conservative youtubes tonight?
Keep 'em guessing!
Actually, keep me guessing too--who could have predicted some of the latest political dance?
Why is everyone so worried? It's a SERVICE, people! Now they will be able to send you everything you want to see before you even KNEW you wanted it! (hey is there a little snark symbol? kinda like a shark? Jaws music ^ (that was a fin.)) Big Brother's watching your youtube WITH you!