The US federal authorities have requested Google to provide names, addresses, phone numbers, and actions of users of accounts who viewed specific videos on YouTube from January 1 to January 8, 2023. People who watched these videos without logging into an account were also not safe, as the government also requested their IP addresses. Investigators are demanding Google to provide information as part of an investigation into a person using the online username elonmuskwhm.
Authorities suspect that elonmuskwhm is selling bitcoins for cash and thus violating money laundering laws, as well as operating an unlicensed money transfer business. It is reported that undercover agents sent the suspects links to YouTube videos with guidelines for drone mapping and augmented reality software during their conversations. These videos, however, were not private, and were viewed over 30,000 times in total. Thus, the government potentially requested confidential information about a significant number of users from Google.
"There are reasons to believe that these records will be relevant and significant for the current criminal investigation, including providing identifying information about the criminals," authorities said.
According to documents, the court granted the request for information but asked Google to keep it confidential. It is also unclear whether Google provided the data requested by the authorities.
In another case, authorities also asked the company to provide a list of accounts that "viewed and/or interacted" with eight live streams on YouTube. Police requested this information after learning they were being monitored during a stream when they were searching an area following a report that an explosive device was planted in a trash bin. One of these live streams was published by the account Boston and Maine Live, which has over 130,000 subscribers.
A Google representative said the company follows a "rigorous process" to protect the privacy of its users. However, critics and privacy advocates are concerned that government agencies are using their powers to obtain confidential information about people who accidentally viewed specific videos on YouTube and are not doing anything illegal.
"What we watch on the internet can reveal very confidential information about us - our political views, our preferences, our religious beliefs, and much more," said John Davisson, senior advisor at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "It is fair to expect that law enforcement agencies will not have access to this information without a compelling reason. This order turns that assumption on its head."
Source: Engadget
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