If the linked article has a paywall, you can access this archived version instead: https://archive.ph/zyhax
The court orders show the government telling Google to provide the names, addresses, telephone numbers and user activity for all Google account users who accessed the YouTube videos between January 1 and January 8, 2023. The government also wanted the IP addresses of non-Google account owners who viewed the videos.
“This is the latest chapter in a disturbing trend where we see government agencies increasingly transforming search warrants into digital dragnets. It’s unconstitutional, it’s terrifying and it’s happening every day,” said Albert Fox-Cahn, executive director at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. “No one should fear a knock at the door from police simply because of what the YouTube algorithm serves up. I’m horrified that the courts are allowing this.” He said the orders were “just as chilling” as geofence warrants, where Google has been ordered to provide data on all users in the vicinity of a crime.
Why, would you look at that - apparently surveillance is fine and dandy, as long as it’s the US doing it. Fucking hypocrites.
The article LITERALLY says the opposite
Jokes on you I’m already on the DoD blacklist because I played War Thunder and got spammed with 40 year old “classified” NATOPs by the forums.
lol WT has done more espionage than most countries
If War Thunder adds Space Combat we’ll find out about Area 51 in 3 weeks.
The fact that that KEEPS HAPPENING is so fucking funny
The kind of things why I use NewPipe…
deleted by creator
Lovely. Wonder what the videos were?
Dream face reveal
ASMR videos of a parent proud of me
When companies tell you they respect your privacy and you should give them your data, you tell them it doesn’t matter. Because policies can change, and at the end of the day, your privacy isn’t always up to an single company.
Wait. This was last year, so not the capitol riot. What happened in January last year? I’m in a decent mood today. Just going to skip looking deeper into this one. I have Factorio to play!
The headline made me think of back when phone networks were just starting to be fast enough to watch YouTube on data, a guy at the job I was working was caught watching videos of young girls in supposedly lacking state of dress splashing in inflatable pools or something along those lines. Dunno what happened to him but everyone thought he was a nice guy the day before and then suddenly everyone was grossed out by his mere existing.
My immediate concern though is do they account for people who were tricked into watching like with Rick rolling?
Are the problem with the people who watch the video, or the people who create, or host the videos?
A little bit of everyone? Watchers create demand for creators, which creates demand for hosts. If any link in this chain breaks, then the little ecosystem dies.
Though that’s both difficult and reductive. Punishing hosts drives watchers to shadier hosts, with creators following. Punishing creators just creates space for other creators to fill the gap with unpredictable content (be it more of the same, better, worse, or other). Punishing watchers is resource intensive to do well, so the focus has to be on the really bad stuff to get anything done. And conjures articles like these when done poorly.
Good thing I have history turned off so I can watch “How to make an AK47 from scratch” in peace :D
They still somehow track your history despite that turned off
Notably with recommendations
For anyone wondering what the videos were:
In a just-unsealed case from Kentucky reviewed by Forbes, undercover cops sought to identify the individual behind the online moniker “elonmuskwhm,” who they suspect of selling bitcoin for cash, potentially running afoul of money laundering laws and rules around unlicensed money transmitting.
Is this measure worldwide, or only for United States?
In the first line of the article
Federal investigators have ordered Google to provide information on all viewers of select YouTube videos
Federal, so yeah just the US for now.
The US isn’t the only federation in the world but it’s Forbes so yes of course it’s the US.
Another reason to use piped or invidious
When you’re getting honey dicked by YouTube…
they have to ask google for this?
Google owns YouTube
yeah no shit.
I’m surprised they dont already know who watched the videos, with all the domestic spying and shit already happening.
This picture makes me realize the youtube logo looks like sushi
Am at an Edo’s as I type this, can confirm it reminds me of stacked California Rolls. Can also confirm there is no real reason that the YouTube logo should remind me of sushi.
Unconstitutional?
