Court Ruling: Google Must Reveal YouTube Viewing Logs

BBC:

Google must divulge the viewing habits of every user who has ever watched any video on YouTube, a US court has ruled.

The ruling comes as part of Google's legal battle with Viacom over allegations of copyright infringement.

Digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) called the ruling a "set-back to privacy rights".

The viewing log, which will be handed to Viacom, contains the log-in ID of users, the computer IP address (online identifier) and video clip details.

While the legal battle between the two firms is being contested in the US, it is thought the ruling will apply to YouTube users and their viewing habits everywhere.

Read the whole story: BBC

Comments

[paulbikes]

Yet another lose for privacy.

Patriot act, this, that. Im moving to Canada.

[Sundialsvc4]

Well, RTIII, I do respectfully disagree with you in this case.

This is a Court which is engaged in the process of Discovery. The plaintiff alleges that his copyrights have been violated. The defendant does possess readily-accessible albeit confidential information which, if disclosed to the court (alone), could conclusively decide the issue. It's entirely proper to compel the defendant to disclose those records ... to the Court.

That does not mean that the records thus-disclosed become accessible to the Plaintiff, nor does it mean that the records have been exposed to public view. Those records are, and must remain, confidential. It simply means that the Court does have a legitimate reason to demand that the defendant produce these business records, to the Court, expressly for the Court's limited purpose of deciding the case at-bar.

[MiraMcB]

I'm not happy about this. What I view is nobody's business by my own. Viacom, stay out of my stuff!

[WorkingClass]

Sombody help me. Why does google even have these records?

[paulbikes]

These things always exist, even if you dont have an account, your ip adress is still recorded your still logged. Every single web page you view. If they want it bad enough the record is there.

Welcome to 1984

[RTIII]

POSTERs I can understand - VIEWERS?!?! There is NO supportable logic in THAT.

This is a violation of all our rights.

This is like visiting a library and having someone observing, recording and then REVEALING what you read, even a single page. It probably includes things you TRIED to view but couldn't for some reason.

THIS IS A VERY BAD RULING.

And I'm mad as hell...
.