Privacy takes a dive
We read:
"YouTube has been ordered to give up records of each clip watched on the popular video-sharing website, along with the date, time and IP address of each person who watched it, to media giant Viacom.
In a ruling that could have major implications for online privacy around the world, US District Court judge Louis Stanton granted Viacom access to the records as part of its ongoing copyright infringement lawsuit against Google and its subsidiary YouTube.
Each time a video is played, YouTube's "Logging" database records the user ID and IP address of the viewer, the date and time of the request and the ID of the clip - and includes details of videos embedded on websites other than YouTube.
Source
Attacks on free speech are bad enough but something that inhibits what you watch is even worse in a way. And if a private company can get these details, where does it stop?
4 comments:
Google might as well be a branch of the FBI. Their privacy policy means nothing, and they have already shown a willingness to cave in to the demands of (other?) repressive countries.
I often hear people whining about the govt. and how "big brother is always watching and listening", yet they never complain about "big corporations" who know far more about what we do and say than the govt. ever could!
Do they really believe the govt. knows as much about us as say, credit reporting agencies who know about every penny you spend, credit card companies, info tracking companies, media companies, etc.? Does the govt. send you junk-mail based on your internet shopping habits?
Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying the govt. is innocent, but thinking the govt. is our biggest worry when it comes to our privacy is totally misguided!
Right, and in fact the corporations are more competent at it, which ought not come as a surprise!
Report on people WATCHING the clips? Hopw about the newspapers reporting on people rsubscribing (reading, which equivalent to watching) their newspaper? Or should movie theaters start recording/rporting people watching the movies? Bookstores record/report people purchasing/reading books? How about Netflix reporting its customers watching DVD's and doenloading movies? In other words, if the precedent is established, why stop with Google/YouTube?
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