Google Ordered to Release YouTube Data to Viacom

Both the New York Times and Los Angeles Times recently reported that a federal judge has ordered internet search giant Google to turn over the viewing records of YouTube as part of a billion dollar lawsuit alleging copyright infringement. The records will reveal the usernames and IP addresses of every YouTube viewer since 2005 and while Viacom has stated that it will not use the data to go after individuals for copyright infringement, the ruling has privacy advocates concerned. Quoting from the New York Times:

“Users should have the right to challenge and contest the production of this deeply private information,” said Kurt Opsahl, senior staff lawyer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an online civil liberties group.

[SNIP]

Mr. Opsahl also said that even records that did not include a user’s login name and I.P. address might be able to be associated with specific people.

The EFF responds in the LA Times, as well:

The group said the ruling would “allow Viacom to see what you are watching on YouTube,” and it urged 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.”

Viacom, which owns Comedy Central, MTV, Paramount and other media channels, is concerned about losing revenue when clips from South Park or the Colbert Report are posted on video sharing sites. Both Viacom and Google say they are open to a compromise that does not reveal user IP addresses, but instead displays viewing trends through randomly assigned numbers.

It is clear that people are concerned about keeping their browsing habits anonymous.

ReputationDefender is committing to keeping private information off of the internet. MyPrivacy helps prevent your sensitive data from being revealed online.