The Law and Your Privacy: An Update
As we let you know on July 4, YouTube received a court order to produce viewing history data. We are pleased to report that Viacom, MTV and other litigants have backed off their original demand for all users' viewing histories and we will not be providing that information. (Read the official legalese here.)
In addition, Viacom and the plaintiffs had originally demanded access to users' private videos, our search technology, and our video identification technology. Our lawyers strongly opposed each of those demands and the court sided with us.
We'll keep you informed of any important developments in this lawsuit. We remain committed to protecting your privacy and we'll continue to fight for your right to share and broadcast your work on YouTube.
Sincerely,
The YouTube Team
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85 comments:
youtube should not even need to fight this. Bloody Joke!!!
ITS GOOD to hear that Youtube is out side of the Privacy debate
YouTube should delete the viewing history of users periodically! That way, if Viacom somehow does get access, YouTube will have nothing to hand over!
1984, George Orwell was rigt, in future every person will be observed.
Big Viacom is watching you!
Are there any new litigants on this privacy issue?
sorry about the extra comment, I accidentally re-loaded the web page.
If this were to ever happen, it would be a travesty.
Viacom is out of touch - living in the industrial age. Unfortunately, so is YouTube. Just because you can keep our information doesn't mean you should.
please do the best in court, i got really nervous when i heard it on the news, i wish you luck
Its like watching the movie eagle eye... except your the one who's been watched.
Gosh, not heard about this before. just did a bit of research about viacom and the whole story. It's certainly scary as even our email addresses would have been given to them! ...not good news - big relief that good old google is managing to protect their/our rights
I agree with josh...cover your tracks!
thanks for the update, it's good to know that you're keeping the site as private as possible
you shouldn't handle them absolutely any data... fuck them argh fuck fuck fuck viacom. I'll never consume any shit from them again. YT protects our freedom of expression forever! that's sealed!
Viacom is out of touch - living in the industrial age. Unfortunately, so is YouTube. Just because you can keep our information doesn't mean you should.
it is good that they backed on their original decision, this means that there is a higher chance that they WILL NOT go through our viewing history and collect our I.P. address.
Viacom is out of touch - living in the industrial age. Unfortunately, so is YouTube. Just because you can keep our information doesn't mean you should.
fuck u viacom... youtube rocks!! please guys keep figghting!!!
it is good that they backed on their original decision, this means that there is a higher chance that they WILL NOT go through our viewing history and collect our I.P. address.
You guys should call for a breakup of Viacom into smaller, individual companies. Paramount, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Spike TV, and other Viacom-owned channels should be forced out on their own. They'd have less legal power then, and it would make this fight a lot easier.
well lets all fuck this
THAT'S WHY I LOVE YOUTUBE! and... fuck viacom (mtv and all their shit).
Thanks for the update
Wow this all just sounds kind of evil and creepy.
Man, this proves that anyone will go to great lengths to get business trade secrets from highly successful companies.
They are just way too lazy to figure it all out for themselves.
I imagine that if you are a Viacom customer then you will be footing the bill for this litigation.
I've requested this issue be resolved and I've offered to communicate with the devs but no one has sent me any message about this issue which continues to be a problem, with the new playlist configuration. Today, I see I am unable to return to using the old Playlist setup, and now I am forced to use the new system which does NOT allow me to move any of my videos within Favorites to my Playlists. YouTube is broken for me and useless if I cannot move my Favorites to my Playlists! For the third time, this is what happens: I navigate to my channel's Favorites, I select a video within Favorites, and click Add to Playlist, a small window comes up under Add to and it shows the message: Add the selected videos to: Playlist(s), with a Loading Playlists... message and a swirling dotted circle to the left of the message which continues to swirl and does not load my Playlist, I'm unable to move any videos from my Favorites area to my Playlists areas because my Playlists won't load under this submenu! I can navigate through my playlists if I select Playlists, but any attempt to move videos from my Favorites section to my Playlists sections fails because it is stuck at the Loading Playlists... animation which never sees completion. Please have someone contact me so I may work with the devs to resolve this. If I am unable to move videos from my Favorites to my Playlists, what is the point of continuing to use YouTube? Please contact me and let's work this out, otherwise I'll have to post this message every day I'm on here when I cannot use my account as I did before. Please, let's get this issue resolved!
Let's boycott Viacom! I'm not watching movies anymore, I'm going to watch anime instead
thanks youtube.
but what is with germany?
Great Youtube, but this looks pretty bad for viacom. People will not forget viacom's intentions in the first place. boo viacom!!!
youtube, bring back "videos being watched right now" on the homepage to registered users!
please do the best in court, i got really nervous when i heard it on the news, i wish you luck
Viacom still trying to trample it's fans, who'd have guessed. Good job by the youtube lawyers enabling anonimity, but you think that the original request should _legally_ have only covered video's that Viacom claim to own. Surely watching my mates lolcats is _nothing_ to do with the case :/
Boycott them anyway, just to teach them a lesson!
I feel safe going on youtube, but I may never trust viacom again, justice is served.
1. Substituted Values: When producing data from the Logging Database
pursuant to the Order, Defendants shall substitute values while preserving uniqueness for
entries in the following fields: User ID, IP Address and Visitor ID. The parties shall
agree as promptly as feasible on a specific protocol to govern this substitution whereby
each unique value contained in these fields shall be assigned a correlative unique
substituted value, and preexisting interdependencies shall be retained in the version of the
data produced. Defendants shall promptly (no later than 7 business days after execution
of this Stipulation) provide a proposed protocol for this substitution. Defendants agree to
reasonably consult with Plaintiffs’ consultant if necessary to reach agreement on the
protocol.
----
Seems to me you are just masking data that you ARE turning over.
In fact if the so-called protocol isn't design very very carefully, I'd think a plaintiff who has know multiple entries into the database could make a key to the masking system.
This remains a rusty can of worms.
That's good to know and besides as you said IPs only identify a computer but to locate that computer would be like search a neddle on a hayloft, and more when the Internet Provider IP address only reaches the modem but the computer has a different one, such when the modem is also a router so it sets its own range of IPs for a local network and all the computers on it share the same public IP, a thing very common to be used lately.
Also Viacom has not right to ask for that, let alone when the users are getting no cent for their videos, they only share it but get non profit since they aren't getting money or anything else that could put them as making a business.
If you ask me Viacom only gonna end losing a lot of money in lawyers because they don't have any idea of what they are doing, they should feel happy their productions have such loyal fans that love to share them with the world, it only gives their production a lot of advertisment without them investing a cent.
Thanks Google and YouTube!!!
Yayy good job! Now stop storing all of that data for so long!
It's about time the Courts realize this ruling goes against EVERY thing the U.S.A. stands for.
so they won't get the IP's and login users or just there were hidden stuff and now after you won you announced about these hidden demands which weren't in your last blog about this case.
thank you YOUTUBE for standing up for us. You have gained trust of most people with your actions, but Viacom instead has done permanent damage for it's reputation and trust amongst most of us.
oh my god thank you youtube.
this was the only right thing to do.
so much sh*t going on, at least one company i personally really love stood up for the right of privacy and fought a wrong decision.
well done. i'm enjoying this again. :D
Yayy good job! Now stop storing all of that data for so long!
Thanks youtube ..
not good
oh my god thank you youtube.
this was the only right thing to do.
so much sh*t going on, at least one company i personally really love stood up for the right of privacy and fought a wrong decision.
well done. i'm enjoying this again. :D
This is not fair! VIACOM IS INVADING OUR PRIVACY!
Oh, so you are commited to protect our privacy. So why then do you store this data over such a long time in the first place?!
This was an informal decision.
The law would appear to be on Viacoms side.
This being the case it cannot be considered responsible to keep vast ammounts of personal data on people that may in the future be mined. We all know what the Bush administration got up to with wire tapping. Why are youtube so cavaleer with our right to privacy?
These vast databases are just a bad idea, they may be marginally useful but i think this case highlights a rather large downside.
Viacom should be grateful for the massive amount of free publicity and advertising these shitty little clips generate.
You couldn't buy this kind of grassroots publicity for all the tea in China!
In the real world this is worth real money! lots of it, probably about the same as the amount Viacom thinks their owed!
This isn't right, it's our personal privacy life
Thanks YT for fighting it.
Why are you so worried about the "handing over" of the IP's and other data as such?
Legally it's not possible to say a determined IP identifies a determined person.
All you have to do is to install any proxy, many of which are free, or to use any webproxy server, and then even if a court declares "that" IP corresponds to "your connection" you'll say it does not, for if you were to do illegal things you'd use a proxy, and for any medium class hacker could easily "mask" their true IP using yours instead.
Presumption of innocence, and you'll walk off free.
They want to record your IP's?
Let them do it......
(If you can't actually protect your privacy, just claim it's not you.....and try not to laugh too loud in their sick faces).
Oh, so you are commited to protect our privacy. So why then do you store this data over such a long time in the first place?!
PaxInvictis: Give them your history and your IP and your habits and YOUR privacy. Leave my privacy alone.
PaxInvictis: Tell that to all of the people who are being sued by and mostly losing to the RIAA and MPAA who were identified only by an IP address.
Viacom should be grateful for the massive amount of free publicity and advertising these shitty little clips generate.
You couldn't buy this kind of grassroots publicity for all the tea in China!
In the real world this is worth real money! lots of it, probably about the same as the amount Viacom thinks their owed!
daexion: I'm sure deep down you know as well as I do that these records aren't kept to pinpoint security breaches in google/youtube services. These records are worth money to the right (or wrong depending on you look at things) people. Keeping logs like this, in my opinion, is as low as selling customer information to marketing companies.
This is an important decision. I fear that more legal challenges will come. There is an infinity of legal eagles on this matter. Stephen Arnold Beyond Search
Paxinvictis: Your IP address is tied to your ISP who knows who you are, and at that point your anonymity on the Internet doesn't exist. Yes, you can use proxies to connect to web-sites, but most people do not. There are also web-sites that can pin-point your IP address to the city you live in/connect from depending on how your ISP breaks down it's IP address block(s).
@itdevel: They have to keep IP logs, so if there is a problem with a hacker they can track them down, among other issues.
PaxInvictis: Tell that to all of the people who are being sued by and mostly losing to the RIAA and MPAA who were identified only by an IP address.
This was an informal decision.
The law would appear to be on Viacoms side.
This being the case it cannot be considered responsible to keep vast ammounts of personal data on people that may in the future be mined. We all know what the Bush administration got up to with wire tapping. Why are youtube so cavaleer with our right to privacy?
These vast databases are just a bad idea, they may be marginally useful but i think this case highlights a rather large downside.
a good thing old timey record players, hi-fi and vynil records are making a big comeback....musicians may actually get paid and be able to get free publicity on You Tube!!! First Ammendment and Fourth Ammendment are still in effect (for over 200 years.)
Viacom is out of touch - living in the industrial age. Unfortunately, so is YouTube. Just because you can keep our information doesn't mean you should.
Thanks youtube ..
Why are you so worried about the "handing over" of the IP's and other data as such?
Legally it's not possible to say a determined IP identifies a determined person.
All you have to do is to install any proxy, many of which are free, or to use any webproxy server, and then even if a court declares "that" IP corresponds to "your connection" you'll say it does not, for if you were to do illegal things you'd use a proxy, and for any medium class hacker could easily "mask" their true IP using yours instead.
Presumption of innocence, and you'll walk off free.
They want to record your IP's?
Let them do it......
(If you can't actually protect your privacy, just claim it's not you.....and try not to laugh too loud in their sick faces).
Why are you so worried about the "handing over" of the IP's and other data as such?
Legally it's not possible to say a determined IP identifies a determined person.
All you have to do is to install any proxy, many of which are free, or to use any webproxy server, and then even if a court declares "that" IP corresponds to "your connection" you'll say it does not, for if you were to do illegal things you'd use a proxy, and for any medium class hacker could easily "mask" their true IP using yours instead.
Presumption of innocence, and you'll walk off free.
They want to record your IP's?
Let them do it......
(If you can't actually protect your privacy, just claim it's not you.....and try not to laugh too loud in their sick faces).
I agree with tantetara. I don't see why this information is kept for the long term anyway (or for the short term, for that matter). By default this data should not be kept without our, the users, discretion. I don't think google/youtube/whatever google affiliate has our best interests in mind at all.
I think the lawyers at Viacom realized that this wads NOT making people happy, and with all these people threatening to boycott everything owned by their company, I think they realized that can prove their case without using every user's data. I think somebody woke up one morning and realized this whole deal was really bad for their PR.
:D!!!
Great! So when are you going to let us OPT OUT of info collection? You dodged a bullet today, but what happens the next time? What happens if the government decides to start spying on us thanks to your data collecting?
good to hear, a small win for common sense.
:D!!!
CONGRATULATIONS, YOUTUBE!
Looks like the "Fuck Viacom" campaign actually worked.
WOO! PRIVACY!
Plus, if you were forced to give them the info, give it to them in Bold Comic Sans Double Spaced.
See how long it'll take them to read through all that.
(Comic sans, because it's the most annoying font possible)
YEEHAW! Viacom have left the building! (Well, for now anyway!)
Thank you Youtube!!
Great work... someone is doing something right over there... :P
Looks like the "Fuck Viacom" campaign actually worked.
Thanks, Youtube. It's good to know that at least one organisation is committed to our privacy.
Don't know why that was said three times, lol. I clicked only once.
Frankly, if they become pain in the asses - the public will just start a ban on their products
Awesome job guys, it shows the pure dedication to keep the privacy of users. Thanks you!
Looks like the "Fuck Viacom" campaign actually worked.
Great... now maybe you guys can fix the multiuploader.
Maybe the campaign did work...Either way I'm glad stupid Viacom
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