Google: Don't Let Viacom Spy on Me!
Viacom will be watching you... on YouTube.
A federal judge has ordered Google, YouTube's parent company, to surrender personal user data to Viacom, including details of every video clip uploaded to the YouTube site as well as the usernames and IP addresses of all viewers.
If you've ever watched a video on YouTube, you should know that Viacom could identify you through this data.
Disclosing these records violates the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act, which stipulates that private records may not be turned over to a third-party unless the person whose records are being revealed is given an opportunity to contest such a decision.
This over-reaching order opens the door for corporations to use our private records at their will and without our consent. Tell Google to defy the court ruling and to refuse to hand over our records to Viacom.
I'm very concerned about the recent ruling ordering your company to share YouTube users' records with Viacom without the user's consent.
The disclosure of such records would violate the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act, which stipulates that private records may not be turned over to a third-party unless the person whose records are being revealed is given an opportunity to contest such a decision.
And if that wasn't enough, revealing I.P. addresses and viewing patterns could yield clues about the identity of viewers, about our identities.
As a company that cares deeply about its costumers, I urge you to dispute Viacom's request immediately, to refuse to hand over YouTube's users data, and to do everything in your power to demonstrate your commitment to protecting our privacy.
