Live data from Hacker News

Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

workspaceupdates.googleblog.com

21–30 of 269 posts

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#22

Note that you can still access your files, they are not blocking that or restricting that. Its the sharing that's blocked.

But seriously how long is it before Google implements a hashing algorithm (not too dissimilar from Apple's) to check if a user has not uploaded content with a copyright on it and taking some form of action on the user. This feels like a slippery slope to be on.

What if you actually own the copyrighted content or have permission to have it?

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#23

Note that you can still access your files, they are not blocking that or restricting that. Its the sharing that's blocked.

But seriously how long is it before Google implements a hashing algorithm (not too dissimilar from Apple's) to check if a user has not uploaded content with a copyright on it and taking some form of action on the user. This feels like a slippery slope to be on.

You are assuming they do not already do this.

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#24

Note that you can still access your files, they are not blocking that or restricting that. Its the sharing that's blocked.

But seriously how long is it before Google implements a hashing algorithm (not too dissimilar from Apple's) to check if a user has not uploaded content with a copyright on it and taking some form of action on the user. This feels like a slippery slope to be on.

it's way too easy to get around that. also, having copyrighted content is not illegal. it is legal to make backup copies of something. google has no way of knowing what kind of external agreements a user may have made regarding sharing. they might ban it anyway, but that makes other services who don't ban legal activity attractive.

Those interested in google's slippery-slopes should look into "keyword warrants" [1] and "geofence" warrants [2]

[1] https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/google-is-gi...

[2] https://nlsblog.org/2021/01/08/google-data-and-geofence-warr...

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#25
post #14
post #10

I believe this may be due to the popular spamming method lately which is tagging people into a Google Docs and share it so everyone receives a notification (the spam message). It works better than regular email spam since apparently Gmail doesn't treat Google Docs notification email as spam (at least not as often).

there is also a method for sharing pirated media using google drive. TBH I'm surprised they havent started earlier

People have used Google Drive for sharing pirated stuffs since forever. Google usually blocks it by restricting downloading instead of removing the file, but people kept finding out new ways to get around that, like making a copy of the file in your own drive, or selecting that file and another one to download so that Google zips up both into one zip file before downloading.

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#26

This is great, afaik Google Drive stuff is a nightmare for SoCs as they don't want to block the whole domain.

One easy to block is storage.googleapis.com ...Regularly used to host malware, but legitimate users generally throw their own domain in front of any usage of that service.

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#27
post #10

I believe this may be due to the popular spamming method lately which is tagging people into a Google Docs and share it so everyone receives a notification (the spam message). It works better than regular email spam since apparently Gmail doesn't treat Google Docs notification email as spam (at least not as often).

Nah Google doesn’t care about that. Spammers have been doing it for years on Google Drive/Docs and Microsoft Sharepoint.

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But seriously how long is it before Google implements a hashing algorithm (not too dissimilar from Apple's) to check if a user has not uploaded content with a copyright on it and taking some form of action on the user. This feels like a slippery slope to be on.

You are assuming they do not already do this.

Considering I have many pictures I took from the latest Spider-Man movie (for my own collection), if they had to do something about it from a legal perspective, they would have done it already.

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#29

Note that you can still access your files, they are not blocking that or restricting that. Its the sharing that's blocked.

But seriously how long is it before Google implements a hashing algorithm (not too dissimilar from Apple's) to check if a user has not uploaded content with a copyright on it and taking some form of action on the user. This feels like a slippery slope to be on.

Apple's CSAM would scan your offline photos.

Google scanning photos you upload to their cloud seems fine to me. Not a slippery slope.

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#30

Note that you can still access your files, they are not blocking that or restricting that. Its the sharing that's blocked.

But seriously how long is it before Google implements a hashing algorithm (not too dissimilar from Apple's) to check if a user has not uploaded content with a copyright on it and taking some form of action on the user. This feels like a slippery slope to be on.

They already do the kind of scanning Apple was going to do. Only with far less privacy.
Post reply on HN