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Sex Workers Say Porn on Google Drive Is Suddenly Disappearing
[...] Six porn performers I talked to and more on social media said that they suddenly can't download adult content they keep on Google Drive. They also said they can't a[sic] share that content with other accounts or send to clients. In some cases, the adult content is disappearing from Drive without warning or explanation. The porn performers I talked to started sounding the alarm on Twitter last week. They said that Google Drive no longer seemed sex-trade friendly, detailing error messages and sharing cloud storage alternatives with each other.
When I asked about sexual content being blocked on Drive, a spokesperson for Google directed me to the Drive policy page—specifically the section on sexually explicit material, which says, "Do not publish sexually explicit or pornographic images or videos.... Additionally, we do not allow content that drives traffic to commercial pornography." Writing about porn and sex is permitted, the policy states, as long as it's not accompanied by sexually explicit images or videos. According to Google, Drive uses a combination of automated systems and manual review to decide what's in violation.
[...] "It seems like all of our videos in Google Drive are getting flagged by some sort of automated system," Stone said. "We're not even really getting notified of it, the only way we really found out was one of our customers told us he couldn't view or download the video we sent him."
Stone's files aren't removed from Drive, but when she tries to play the video or download it, she said Google gives her an error message: "Whoops! There was a problem playing this video" with an option to download the item, but the download link doesn't work.
Some sex workers are wondering if this has something to do with the impending vote on the SESTA-FOSTA bill, which is on the Senate floor for debate this week. [ed. note: it was passed]
It could also be that Google is suddenly enforcing its Terms of Service without warning.
[...] "I don't believe that Google should be allowed to dictate what you and another consenting adult send to each other through email."
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday March 26 2018, @03:07AM (2 children)
It's a little more twisted than that. Google Drive implies some confidentiality of your data, but then places restrictions on the types of data you may store there - which implies that they are looking at your confidential data somehow to determine compliance.
It's more like dining at a restaurant with wine lockers, and bringing your own bottle of something illegal like Absinthe (or, maybe even something illegal that won't kill you...) As an earlier AC posted, if you encrypt your files - or put the illegal liquid in an Quinta do Seixo bottle, they should leave you in peace, and even pour for you.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Tuesday March 27 2018, @04:33AM (1 child)
>Google Drive *implies* some confidentiality of your data
How about reading the terms of service first, before claiming vague things like "implies". Google reserves the right to use your data for the purpose of providing services to you, in this case, Google Drive, which includes scanning for content that breaches the terms of service. As a counterpoint, a Google employee eyeing through your nudes is not "for the purpose of providing services to you", which would be a breach of contract.
Google's paid business offering notably has very different terms of service. Ignoring the fact that the users agreed to the terms of service, they can hardly complain when they have paid nothing for a valuable service; if they pay for the service, they'll probably find the terms more to their liking.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday March 27 2018, @12:12PM
>>*implies* some confidentiality
>How about reading the terms of service first, before claiming vague things like "implies"
ANGTFT
(Ain't Nobody Got Time For That)
🌻🌻 [google.com]