Daily Debrief: Celebrating America's independence, questioning our own online

A day before the United States celebrates its independence, we continue to question our individual freedoms online. In Thursday's Daily Debrief, CNET News.com Editor in Chief Dan Farber and I discuss a federal judge's recent ruling in the ongoing Google-Viacom lawsuit that orders Google to turn over YouTube user activity. This will include videos watched, IP addresses, and usernames as part of an ongoing copyright infringement case.

Understandably, this news is disconcerting for YouTube users. Sources tell CNET News.com, however, that if Viacom uses this information for anything other than investigating piracy issues, it will be held in contempt of court. Regardless, Farber makes the point that this ruling could now set a precedent for other online privacy and security battles. Representatives from the Electronic Frontier Foundation agree, arguing that this court order will slowly erode the online rights we have come to enjoy and appreciate. Sounds like fireworks of a different kind this Fourth of July.

[tioedong]

another use of the copyright law to harass ordinary folks. Never mind that the Chinese pirates have videos of new movies to sell and I can buy them at our rural Philippine town before the films open in Manila.

As for finding out who you are via an email/ IP address: Isn't that what an Obama operative did the other day to some right wing nuts from FreeRepublic?