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Google is now applying its coronavirus misinformation policies to personal files

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Re: Google is now applying its coronavirus misinformation policies to personal files

#141

Post by jrockway »

JackFr wrote: post #135
grumple wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You gotta fight! For your right! To misssssleeeeead. It might be more prudent to be careful about accepting what you read at first glance; why would google allow someone to stream data (against policy for the product), let alone when that content violates their policies on their content streaming networks? Do you think they should leave up public to other content that violates their policies, just because it's tied t…

If you’re only in favor of free speech that doesn’t mislead, you’re not in favor of free speech.

No true Scotsman, eh?

Re: Google is now applying its coronavirus misinformation policies to personal files

#142

Post by thoraway1010 »

threatofrain wrote: post #95
berns wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Drive will restrict usage... > ... including terminating your account or ability to use Drive. I think that the controversial part is that the file was deleted. I'd find it surprising if some file from my Drive is just deleted instead of restricting public access or using another form of enforcing the policy.

Google has no obligation to be anyone's mouthpiece or loudspeaker, and we have no information on whether any files were deleted.

The idea that a file was deleted as a first step is pretty out there. There is NO evidence of that. The usual progression is to deny streaming, then warn and close account ultimately.

Question is this a paid google storage / CDN account? That would be different. It sounds like this is bog standard gdrive.

Re: Google is now applying its coronavirus misinformation policies to personal files

#143

Post by deepl_derber »

JackFr wrote: post #135
grumple wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You gotta fight! For your right! To misssssleeeeead. It might be more prudent to be careful about accepting what you read at first glance; why would google allow someone to stream data (against policy for the product), let alone when that content violates their policies on their content streaming networks? Do you think they should leave up public to other content that violates their policies, just because it's tied t…

If you’re only in favor of free speech that doesn’t mislead, you’re not in favor of free speech.

This has nothing to do with 'free speech' though.

edit: apparently I'm rate-limited from making new posts, but JackFr's response to me below is completely fair. Sorry for not reading more thoroughly!

Re: Google is now applying its coronavirus misinformation policies to personal files

#144

Post by pnako »

heavenlyblue wrote: post #106

In a slightly parallel universe, it’s going to be quite hilarious if all of the decentralised technologies are going to end up being developed by the types of anti-vaxxers, holocaust deniers, neo-nazis because they were the only ones needing them (and not the illusory political dissidents). So in the end it’s going to have a positive impact. Here’s a supporting example: Snowden didn’t need any of this tech to share i…

It's not that simple. In the west it's the "alt right" or similar that needs to bypass censorship. But in China, it's pro-democracy people.

Even inside a country, it changes. Dissenters 50 years ago are not the same ones as today. The left protested globalization 20 years ago; today it's the right.

My point is: we should let all ideas out there and not fight to censor the other side. Fight ideas with arguments and evidence, not censorship.

Re: Google is now applying its coronavirus misinformation policies to personal files

#145

Post by deepl_derber »

jfoster wrote: post #63
darkerside wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a hugely important distinction. Can we please figure this out before we pick up the pitchforks?

The headline ("Google Drive takes down user’s personal copy...") is suggestive of the file being entirely gone. There's a couple of paragraphs in the article that would seem to support this, but agree that it would be good to have it made very explicit.

Since Drive doesn't generally delete users' files for policy violations maybe the safer assumption is to assume that it wasn't deleted unless there's evidence that strongly suggests otherwise.

Re: Google is now applying its coronavirus misinformation policies to personal files

#146

Post by [deleted] »

jrockway wrote: post #54

I don't see any evidence that Google applied a misinformation policy here. It could be that they simply don't want to pay for the bandwidth to serve video without any ads in it. It is a big file and a lot of people want it. That can get super expensive. I don't know how big this file is, but let's say it's a 4GB DVD image. That ties up 1Gbps for 32 seconds, which means that with a 1Gbps link to your server, you can s…

[deleted]

Re: Google is now applying its coronavirus misinformation policies to personal files

#147

Post by fredsanford »

thephyber wrote: post #25
fredsanford wrote: post #4

It's 1984 in 2020 all over again. Paging Mr. Orwell...

Your take is an overreaction. All of the big file hosting platforms have long had copyright and child porn content filters. The fact that they are policing ToS violations (presumably only after they are reported or scripting re-violations) doesn't seem anywhere near 1984-style censorship. I do fear that this will give the tin foil hats more conviction that "there's something to it since they are hiding it!" and not m…

OK... How would I find out from Google why they deleted original content written by me and stored in my account?

How do I effectively appeal the action?

Re: Google is now applying its coronavirus misinformation policies to personal files

#148

Post by deepl_derber »

arkitaip wrote: post #3

This is gross and unethical but we should let them continue digging their own grave.

What about them restricting the visibility of a video in response to a violation of their policies is 'unethical' and 'gross'?

They also don't allow sharing porn, or for people to use the service as a CDN, is that 'unethical'?

Re: Google is now applying its coronavirus misinformation policies to personal files

#149

Post by deepl_derber »

thephyber wrote: post #27
cgb223 wrote: post #6

Further proof that when you upload a file to Google Drive, you don’t own that file, they do

You use the platform, you abide by the contract. My only concern is that contract violations (or even gray area violations) are not always predictable by the customer because the legalese in the ToS is so vague. You are overloading the term "own" and your use of "that file" is ambiguous. You "own" (in many senses) the local copy of the uploaded file. You only lease the space and hosting for the remote copy, assuming…

> My coworker overflowed his Google Drive quota and learned that lesson the hard way.

This sounds a lot more sinister than "my coworker had to delete some files to go back under his quota".

Re: Google is now applying its coronavirus misinformation policies to personal files

#150

Post by boomboomsubban »

chroem- wrote: post #102
mike503 wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, freedom of speech is not guaranteed on a privately owned platform... not sure why anyone expects that.

Windows 10 is a free subscription, and users don't necessarily own a license of their operating system. Under this precedent, what is to stop Microsoft from deleting problematic files off of users' computers? After all, it's a privately owned platform.

>what is to stop Microsoft from deleting problematic files off of users' computers?

The cost benefit analysis of massively upsetting users. If memory serves, they used to use this method to target Windows piracy.

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