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Google Pressured To Police Stolen Webcam Videos On YouTube
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.
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.
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