Viacom Assures On YouTube Data Privacy

Viacom has written to the Electronic Frontier Foundation to try and assuage fears about its agreement to keep data in the YouTube case anonymous.

In its battle over copyright against YouTube, Viacom agreed that the log files to be handed over as evidence could be anonymized. However, privacy groups noted that stipulation could be changed at any point.

So, in a bid to allay the fears of those groups, Viacom has taken the step of writing to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), agreeing to warn it in advance if the privacy conditions were to be changed.

Kurt Opsahl, EFF senior staff attorney, said:

"A stipulation is not as protective as a motion to correct the court’s order because it may be modified by another stipulation between the parties.Viacom’s promise, however, gives us the opportunity to take action before personally identifiable information is revealed."