Caught in the Web

Privacy advocates hit the panic button, saying the combination of user names and Internet addresses could provide enough information to identify individual users. Although Stanton imposed strict limits on the data, the disclosure nevertheless raised the specter of Viacom trying to identify and sue those who uploaded clips from its TV programs without permission. To their credit, Viacom and Google have been scrambling to comply with the order without disclosing the identities of any users. Yet the lawsuit illustrates how YouTube threatens its users' privacy simply by collecting and retaining so much data. Just because Viacom isn't interested in users' identities doesn't mean that other copyright holders, law enforcement agencies or aggrieved parties won't be.

Stanton's order is a reminder that websites shouldn't retain personally identifiable data any longer than the law or their services require. Google argues that the data enable it to improve its services, combat fraud and personalize offerings. Its approach, though, reflects an engineer's habit of hoarding information for the sake of as-yet-unimagined features, not the cautious practices of a privacy-conscious company. If YouTube really needs to keep months' worth of data about what users do, the least it can do is remove the links to who's doing it. In the meantime, users should remove the links themselves by following instructions on the site for erasing their viewing histories.