Posted 07/15/08 at 07:52:52 AM by Chris Moody

It seems that either Viacom came to their senses about making Google turn over user data on YouTube, or they didn’t like the bad press that their suit was generating.  They have reached a deal to protect the privacy YouTube watchers everywhere and will allow Google to anonymize YouTube user data.

Previously Viacom succeeded in getting Judge Louis Stanton of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to order Google to turn over as evidence a database what videos users watch, the users' computer addresses, and their usernames. Many groups including the Electronic Frontier Foundation argued that the order "threatens to expose deeply private information" and violated the Video Privacy Protection Act.  Whether the Act, created when VCRs were high tech, could be applied to YouTube was debatable. Viacom and Google’s deal avoids the legal snarl all together.

If you are into deciphering legalese (and we can assume you are into self flagellation  too) you can read the details here.

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Google, legal, Privacy, law, youtube, viacom, deal, rights

Posted 07/08/08 at 08:12:05 AM by Chris Moody

A recent blog at the WashingtonTimes.com mentions government interest in an electronic ID bracelet that a company Lamperd Less Lethal suggests would be worn by all air travelers until they disembark at their destination. This handy device would carry all pertinent passenger information electronically replacing the boarding pass. Let’s not forget its biggest feature, a Electro-Muscular Disruption device or EMD to quell terrorists. As if flyers didn’t have enough to worry about with terrorists, plane crashes, being squeezed into seats made for elf sized people, now you can fly with a Taser strapped to your body too.

Want to hear more? Make the jump to read about their concept video.

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news, rights, taser, flying