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Google Pressured To Police Stolen Webcam Videos On YouTube

Posted by Soulskill on from the america's-creepiest-home-videos dept.

An anonymous reader writes: A new report from Digital Citizens Alliance has called on Google to do a better job of making sure illicit webcam footage doesn't stick around on YouTube. Over the past several years, hackers have found profit in hijacking webcams and using the footage they capture to embarrass or extort money from their victims. This footage is frequently posted to YouTube, sometimes even as livestreams. DCA says these videos collectively have millions of views on YouTube, and that Google is part of the reason hackers can profit from it. They add that Google has not yet responded to their request.

11 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. I have tape over my video camera by TheNarrator · · Score: 2

    I have a little inconspicuous black piece of electrical tape over my webcam. I take it off whenever I need to video conference, which is not very often. I just don't get why they don't put a small manual shutter over the webcam on laptops. I guess grandma wouldn't figure out how to operate it or something.

    1. Re:I have tape over my video camera by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      ...and a physical switch to disconnect the microphone. On the other hand, people have paid me to flip the WLAN enable switch on laptops, so I understand that manufacturers don't want to shoulder the cost. It's not just the 2ct hardware switch; it's also restocking perfectly good devices because the users think their device is broken when all they needed to do was flip a switch.

    2. Re:I have tape over my video camera by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Years ago when I was working as a computer tech I saw a lot of people had stuck things over their webcams. It seems like a feature that is in demand from consumers. I'm really surprised that manufacturers have not picked up on this and started offering it.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  2. Has your been stolen and posted to YouTube? by rakslice · · Score: 2

    Has your been stolen and posted to YouTube?
    Fill out this nice form and they will take it down.
    https://support.google.com/you...

    Nothing to see here; move along.

  3. Re:Hypocrisy by alvinrod · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Obviously no one can until a complaint is filed.

    The problem, as anyone who has had a problem with Google and needed to talk to a human knows, is that Google doesn't have a lot of staff to deal with this kind of thing. They try to have an algorithm detect and deal with abuses, but they're often wrong or inadequate which leaves regular people without a lot of options.

  4. Digital Citizen Alliance MPAA tool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    DCA is an MPAA funded attack dog it regularly sics on Google. Techdirt has a number of articles where the DCA is involved in a some state AG's cases driven by the MPAA. https://www.techdirt.com/blog/?company=digital+citizens+alliance

  5. the real cause by mosdave · · Score: 2

    DCA says these videos collectively have millions of views on YouTube, and that Google is part of the reason hackers can profit from it.

    I would l like to see the utility companies providing the electricity held accountable.

  6. Sounds Perfect by Kunedog · · Score: 2

    The problem, as anyone who has had a problem with Google and needed to talk to a human knows, is that Google doesn't have a lot of staff to deal with this kind of thing. They try to have an algorithm detect and deal with abuses, but they're often wrong or inadequate which leaves regular people without a lot of options.

    All of that is probably an advantage in DCA's eyes. They see Youtube's "accusation == guilty until proven innocent (plus the kafkaesque nightmare of trying to file an appeal with the automated scripts/machines)" copyright reporting system, and they want Google to implement something similar in their favor.

    And they have a good chance of getting it, too, because Google will just want to make them to go away.

  7. Re:Hypocrisy by Foobar+of+Borg · · Score: 2

    I have a problem with Google's new tendency to use UK-centric names for their new photo captcha. They show me photos of burgers and fries, trucks, planes, etc. But they call french fries "chips", airplanes "aeroplanes" and trucks "lorries" or something. It's like the people in charge over there don't understand that on the Internet you must use common, world-wide english, not a dialect specific to a tiny part of the planet.

    British English is the standard throughout the world, both in the Anglosphere, and in countries where English is taught as a second language. English did come from England, you know...

    --
    Similar to the upcoming US election results
  8. Re:Hypocrisy by Stan92057 · · Score: 2

    "Quote"

    http://www.youtube.com/yt/policyandsafety/communityguidelines.html

    Nudity or sexual content YouTube is not for pornography or sexually explicit content. If this describes your video, even if it's a video of yourself, don't post it on YouTube. Also, be advised that we work closely with law enforcement and we report child exploitation. Learn more"

    End Quote
    seems to be pretty clear to me

    --
    Jack of all trades,master of none
  9. Re:Hypocrisy by ultranova · · Score: 2

    I have no sympathy

    And nobody definitely has any sympathy for you either. But smart people will still defend your rights because an attack against your rights is an attack against everyone's rights, no matter how much you might "deserve" it.

    They victimized themselves with their own stupidity.

    No, they didn't. Their stupidity made it easy to victimize them. You aren't any less guilty just because your victim is weak and helpless.

    --

    Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.