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Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

workspaceupdates.googleblog.com

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Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#171

Post by unilynx »

howdydoo wrote: post #69
RankingMember wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "but you can request a review!" handwaving all these massive tech platforms use to assuage concerns about heavy-handed (and coldly automated) policy application is really long overdue for serious consumer protection regulation.

I like to imagine the AI spits out a line like this: > Should we ban this user? YES Then you request a review, and the support person double-checks that the output really does say "YES" and not "NO". Then they tell you they reviewed their decision.

GDPR art 22 might protect against this (https://gdpr-info.eu/art-22-gdpr/).

I wonder if someone has already tried to invoke it against a Google/FB/.. ban hammer.

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#172

Post by unilynx »

throwaway0a5e wrote: post #159
ncann wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

People have been using password protected archives to get around pirated content restrictions since forever.

Does Google even have to look at the content? I assume most pirated content will also have a massive number of anonymous downloads, and shouldn't that trigger some fair-usage clause somewhere ?

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#173

Post by duskwuff »

ncann wrote: 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).

Similarly: Google Forms being used for phishing, Google Calendar invite spam... I've even heard of Google Photos being used for spam (by "sharing" photos, or by posting photos with text as the target of a spam campaign).

Spammers ruin everything.

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#174

Post by bastardoperator »

mikece wrote: post #2

Google says you can request a review if you believe something should not have been flagged as a ToS violation but no mention is given to any rights you have. To me this reads as "You can request whatever you want but it might not mean anything in reality.": https://support.google.com/docs/answer/2463328 Conversely, the information for how to report what you perceive as a ToS violation is far more complete: https://su…

Request a review from Google? Real human intervention? That's cute... but we know how this actually goes with them.

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#175

Post by bryanrasmussen »

so people doing more creative writing will not really be able be able to rely on it for collaborative editing etc. as those are the users more likely to write something that will look like a violation.

What would be a good collaborative platform for creative writing?

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#176

Post by jjav »

acjohnson55 wrote: post #162
makecheck wrote: post #106

We need “dumb” infrastructure again, that you can simply pay for with few strings attached, where the provider cannot fiddle with things at all, leaving enforcement to other authorities. We build roads; yes, those roads might be used to transport stolen goods but the road builder doesn’t get to sit there and inspect every vehicle (and accuse the wrong people sometimes and ban them from driving). It’s just so damned c…

You can store your data encrypted. I use Cryptomator on top of Dropbox for keeping my personal files in the cloud and synced between systems. It works on any online storage that presents itself as a drive to your OS. You lose all of value-added functionality of the cloud storage application, though, like the web interface and the ability to share.

> You can store your data encrypted.

You can, I can (actually, I run my own file servers, even better).

Average person can't (won't even be aware they should). We could say let's educate people (yes, let's). But really, infrastructure should be neutrally available to everyone like roads or the old POTS network.

It can only be achieved through regulation, since these companies will always be self-serving at every step otherwise.

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#177

Post by traceroute66 »

acjohnson55 wrote: post #162
makecheck wrote: post #106

We need “dumb” infrastructure again, that you can simply pay for with few strings attached, where the provider cannot fiddle with things at all, leaving enforcement to other authorities. We build roads; yes, those roads might be used to transport stolen goods but the road builder doesn’t get to sit there and inspect every vehicle (and accuse the wrong people sometimes and ban them from driving). It’s just so damned c…

You can store your data encrypted. I use Cryptomator on top of Dropbox for keeping my personal files in the cloud and synced between systems. It works on any online storage that presents itself as a drive to your OS. You lose all of value-added functionality of the cloud storage application, though, like the web interface and the ability to share.

> You lose all of value-added functionality of the cloud storage application, though, like the web interface and the ability to share.

Only because you chose the wrong solution. ;-)

Look at Tresorit[1] instead.

[1]https://tresorit.com/

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#178

Post by gentleman11 »

unilynx wrote: post #172
throwaway0a5e wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People have been using password protected archives to get around pirated content restrictions since forever.

Does Google even have to look at the content? I assume most pirated content will also have a massive number of anonymous downloads, and shouldn't that trigger some fair-usage clause somewhere ?

Same for game mods

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#179

Post by [deleted] »

Kaze404 wrote: post #136
mikece wrote: post #2

Google says you can request a review if you believe something should not have been flagged as a ToS violation but no mention is given to any rights you have. To me this reads as "You can request whatever you want but it might not mean anything in reality.": https://support.google.com/docs/answer/2463328 Conversely, the information for how to report what you perceive as a ToS violation is far more complete: https://su…

Considering their history with falsely-flagged videos on YouTube, I assume this to be "you can ask for a review but we're not gonna do anything about it lol".

[deleted]

Re: Google Drive may restrict files identified as violating ToS

#180

Post by edge17 »

mikece wrote: post #2

Google says you can request a review if you believe something should not have been flagged as a ToS violation but no mention is given to any rights you have. To me this reads as "You can request whatever you want but it might not mean anything in reality.": https://support.google.com/docs/answer/2463328 Conversely, the information for how to report what you perceive as a ToS violation is far more complete: https://su…

Google doesn't exactly have a great reputation for customer support.
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