Posted on 03/24/2024 1:31:53 PM PDT by libh8er
If you've ever jokingly wondered if your search or viewing history is going to "put you on some kind of list," your concern may be more than warranted.
In now unsealed court documents reviewed by Forbes, Google was ordered to hand over the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and user activity of Youtube accounts and IP addresses that watched select YouTube videos, part of a larger criminal investigation by federal investigators.
The videos were sent by undercover police to a suspected cryptocurrency launderer under the username "elonmuskwhm." In conversations with the bitcoin trader, investigators sent links to public YouTube tutorials on mapping via drones and augmented reality software, Forbes details. The videos were watched more than 30,000 times, presumably by thousands of users unrelated to the case.
YouTube's parent company Google was ordered by federal investigators to quietly hand over all such viewer data for the period of Jan. 1 to Jan. 8, 2023, but Forbes couldn't confirm if Google had complied.
(Excerpt) Read more at mashable.com ...
Just ‘Stupid Cat Videos’ Mom.
How long before the FBI comes knocking?
I like to watch Pawn Stars videos, does that count?
Warrantless too?
“Nah, I was probably sleeping and accidentally hit the the link when I rolled over in bed.”
Next, and maybe already, we'll have a government agent post a provocative video or article, then investigate anyone that watches or reads without further evidence or hint of wrong doing. I guess we really are to the point of Stalin-esque show me the person, I'll show you the crime.
Did google ask to see the warrant?
The original target was suspected of selling Bitcoin for cash and operating an illegal money transmitting service. But then the Fed sent out drone mapping videos for some reason to entrap him and the Feds requested a list of who watched those.
I’m safe watching Jonathan Bowden speeches.
He talked about how he always kept it at a high level of abstraction in order to avoid UK “hate laws”.
So a bit too fancy for Trudeau’s RCMP goobers to decipher.
When do they make it a crime to see certain videos?
They could have had the videos removed-as they do for those that ‘misgender’?
Or was this to entrap?
They have a whole legal department just to respond to search warrants.
My cat is always walking on my keyboard :)
“The right to ask questions and do research is every bit as important as free speech.”
Exactly, we have the inalienable right to receive free speech as well is dispense it. This period is a very good time to keep that “inalienable” part in the public eye.
There are only a few YouTube channels that I actually watch, but I spend most of the time going thru and clicking “Don’t Recommend Channel” option.
They'll fill that list out when they need to.
It’s possible the Feds are investigating crypto fraud in this case.
I’ve reported videos more than once that were up on YouTube for just a few minutes, had tens of thousands of views, and were crypto fraud.
The scam works something like this: Build a YouTube channel about crypto. Build up a following. Once there is a large enough base of subscribers who receive notifications, the scam is launched. The channel owner will make a live video claiming Elon Musk is giving away large amounts of cryptocurrency and all you have to do is show you’ve set up an account. Then they get victims to send some crypto as proof with the understanding they will be getting it back along with the generous gift from Musk.
Some of the videos I’ve seen look pretty convincing because they use images that look like they’re from Elon Musk’s verified Twitter account. The channel owner makes it sound like he is helping his followers by sharing this big, limited-time opportunity.
Crap, they found out about the time I watched that video on the sinking of the Yamato.
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