Google told to hand over all YouTube user details

The implications of this are staggering.


excerpt from:
Viacom lawsuit: Google told to hand over all YouTube user details | Technology | The Guardian

The internet giant Google is being forced to hand over the personal information of every person who has ever watched a video on the YouTube website as part of a billion-dollar court case in the US.

A judge in New York has ordered that Google, which owns YouTube, must pass on the details of more than 100 million people - many of them in the UK - to Viacom, the US broadcasting company which owns channels including MTV and Nickelodeon.

The data will include unique internet addresses, email accounts and the history of every video watched on the website, giving Viacom's experts the ability to conduct a detailed examination of the viewing habits of millions of people around the world.

Denver Librarian Proves Her Point

If you've followed the Presidency of George W. Bush you know that he very seldom speaks at a "public event" that doesn't have a hand-picked audience. Well GOP Presidential Candidate John McCain seems to have adopted the same practice.

ProgressNowAction has reported:

"On orders from Senator John McCain's security detail, Denver police escorted a 61-year-old woman away who was waiting in line to attend a so-called town hall meeting with McCain that was billed as open to the public.

Carol Kreck, who works as a librarian in Denver, held a homemade sign reading "McCain = Bush." On orders from McCain's security detail, police cited her for trespassing and escorted her to the sidewalk. She was told if she returned she would be arrested.

"And all I did was carry a sign that said McCain = Bush," Kreck said. "And for everyone who voted for Bush, I don't see why it's offensive to say McCain = Bush."

This episode by McCain's Secret Service appears to be a rerun of McCain's 2005 town hall in Denver with President Bush in which the Secret Service had three Denver citizens removed from an "open" event where McCain was campaigning with Pres. Bush for his plan to privatize social security.

It appears that McCain's Secret Service and staff have proved Ms. Kreck's point. At least when he comes to freedom of speech, McCain=Bush