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ARTICLE · 15 AUGUST 2008

Google Ordered To Reveal Users´ YouTube Viewing Habits

A US judge presiding over a copyright infringement case against Google has issued a decisive judgment which will have worldwide implications for users of the video-sharing internet site YouTube.

United StatesMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment

A US judge presiding over a copyright infringement case against Google has issued a decisive judgment which will have worldwide implications for users of the video-sharing internet site YouTube. Google has been ordered to hand over the full details of all of YouTube's users' viewing habits, in a judgment made in the course of a $1 billion lawsuit. The suit was filed in California last March against Google, the owners of YouTube, by publishing and media giant Viacom. Viacom demanded that Google must hand over data about how people use the site, in order that Viacom could study it and prove that material that infringes copyright is routinely posted and watched by viewers. Viacom has now decided that it will accept the data in an anonymised form, however, the original and highly controversial order still stands and may form a precedent which poses a significant threat to data privacy worldwide.

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