If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The retroactive application of new YouTube guidelines poses a significant challenge for content creators. David Burgess‚ the mind behind the DBTech YouTube channel‚ recently found himself in a perplexing situation. Despite adhering to the draconian rules at the time of uploading‚ he received two community strikes for older videos featuring youtube-dl and similar software‚ casting doubt over the sustainability of his future content. As reported by TorrentFreak‚ Brandon Lee from VirtualizationHowto describes it as a space for tech enthusiasts to explore and experiment with diverse technologies‚ ranging from virtual machines to personal servers. DB Tech‚ Burgess’s channel‚ is a treasure trove of knowledge for homelab enthusiasts‚ offering guidance on various technologies like Docker and Pi-Hole. Unlike many channels‚ DB Tech steers clear of piracy‚ focusing on legally available software. A notification from YouTube about a community guideline strike was unexpected for Burgess‚ especially since he had disabled notifications two years prior. The strike pertained to a video uploaded on March 20‚ 2020‚ about a Docker container for youtube-dl‚ a tool for downloading videos from platforms like YouTube. This video predated the RIAA’s attempt to remove youtube-dl from GitHub by six months. Despite youtube-dl’s continued availability on GitHub and Burgess’s emphasis on non-infringing use‚ YouTube removed the video in 2021 for violating its Terms of Service. YouTube-dl is a command-line program designed for downloading videos from YouTube and other video-hosting websites. Renowned for its versatility and efficiency‚ it enables users to download videos in various formats and resolutions‚ catering to different needs and bandwidth requirements. Beyond just downloading individual videos‚ YouTube-dl offers features like downloading entire playlists‚ extracting audio from videos‚ and selecting specific video qualities. Its utility extends to both casual users who want to save videos for offline viewing and professionals who may need to archive content or use video clips for educational or analytical purposes. As an open-source tool‚ it has garnered a community of contributors who continuously update and improve it‚ ensuring compatibility with a constantly changing online landscape. Burgess‚ known for his informative and hype-free content‚ was disappointed with the strike. His video‚ carefully instructing on the prudent use of youtube-dl‚ did not encourage piracy or content theft. Instead‚ it highlighted the risks of alternative tools laden with malware. Despite this‚ YouTube’s terms‚ which prohibit downloading content not explicitly allowed for download‚ left little room for Burgess’s video to remain up. The irony of the situation is not lost‚ especially considering the RIAA’s stance on youtube-dl as a tool for circumventing digital locks. YouTube’s terms disallow content that shows how to access unauthorized content‚ but Burgess’s video didn’t seem to violate this directly. The second strike came for a video uploaded on February 5‚ 2021‚ focusing on setting up a home media server. This tutorial‚ purely technical in nature‚ was also removed for breaching YouTube’s terms‚ despite its educational intent and the presence of similar content on the platform. This inconsistency in enforcement has left Burgess and other creators puzzled and concerned about the interpretation of YouTube’s rules. With the tightening of content policies on platforms like YouTube‚ creators like Burgess face the challenge of adapting to ever-evolving rules. The need to predict and conform to potential future guidelines adds to the complexity of content creation. Despite these hurdles‚ Burgess is not planning to leave YouTube‚ though he is exploring other avenues like Rumble for more consistent and clear-cut rules. Get the the full details on TorrentFreak here. The post DB Tech YouTube Channel Receives Unjust Strikes for Old Videos on YouTube-Dl appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Sign Up To Keep Reading This post is for Reclaim The Net supporters. Gain access to the entire archive of features and supporters-only content. Help protect free speech‚ freedom from surveillance‚ and digital civil liberties. Join Already a supporter? Login here The post App Notifications Have Proven To Be a Surveillance Nightmare. Here’s What To Do About Them. appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. It’s that time of the US election cycle again: what were formerly known as “newspapers of record” attempting to‚ for political reasons‚ promote odd ideas like regulating jokes. It’s the New York Times this time‚ looking like it’s terrified that Donald Trump might be successful in his new presidential bid‚ and so going guns blazing after what it calls his “troll army.” And “troll” here means – meme creators. As for the memes themselves‚ the NYT either pretends not to or doesn’t get the joke – namely‚ that they are jokes‚ and basically treats them as sinister tools for peddling misinformation and deepfakes. To add insult to the paper’s injury‚ the memes not only support the Trump campaign‚ but Trump also enjoys them‚ and takes time to communicate with the meme creators. The article claims that there is a large number of “sexist and racist tropes” being repeated in these memes‚ but singles out a video collection of some of President Biden’s many gaffes. Trump apparently liked the original and used it during his rallies‚ but the gaffes are truly so many‚ that he thought a few more could be added to the video‚ which the creator was happy to do. This‚ the NYT treats as a very serious matter‚ referring to the creator as “effectively” being no less than a member of “a shadow online ad agency” for Trump – even though he does not work for him. What happened to the right to back a presidential candidate‚ express it in a humorous way‚ and not be treated with suspicion and described in over-the-top dramatic tone‚ such as that these creators with the memes‚ “brutally denigrate” Biden‚ and show “unrelenting cruelty of internet trolls” who resort to “vulgar invectives”? But it’s the suggested “solutions” that are the most bizarre part of the article. One is the implication that memes should be treated as ads that run on TV and radio‚ meaning‚ regulated for “accuracy‚ fairness and transparency.” And then onto the creators: the paper wouldn’t mind if they start being considered “super PACs” (i.e.‚ independent expenditure only political activity committees)‚ who would have to disclose any donors and provide reports about spending – and‚ possibly face restrictions on coordinating with campaigns. The post NY Times Targets Pro-Trump Memes‚ Equates Them with Deepfakes and Advocates for Regulation appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. US President Joe Biden has decided that it is a good idea to try going after the open source software development model – specifically (for now?) in the context of AI. The Biden administration is doing this via an executive order‚ issued at the end of October‚ which states that the goal is to create AI industry standards and ensure safety of citizens‚ government agencies‚ and – companies. Some observers are interpreting this as an attempt to restrict open-source AI‚ and essentially harness the power of the technology by centralizing it in the hands of a small number of powerful corporations with closed‚ proprietary development models. Although the executive order is said to be long on words‚ yet managing to remain short on detail‚ making the whole situation currently fairly confusing‚ what is understood from it is making some prominent figures in the industry raise concerns about the possible negative consequences on innovation‚ and creation of monopolies. Thus Martin Casado of the Andreessen Horowitz VC firm – joined by a number of academics and AI-based technology founders – wrote in a post on X‚ “We believe strongly that open source is the only way to keep software safe and free from monopoly. Please help amplify.” Like so many controversial initiatives and decisions coming from the current White House‚ this executive order is said to be overly broad‚ and putting startups and smaller companies in danger of not having the resources to meet its requirements the way the giants can. For its part‚ the administration has not yet decided to definitively take the path of restricting open-source AI and has instead asked the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to come up with recommendations by July 2024. At least NTIA administrator Alan Davidson thinks that the executive order is “pretty clear” in terms of assigning a task to this agency‚ and in his statements to the press‚ promises that NTIA is not “trying” to prejudge the outcome. However‚ if the recommendations go the way the critics of the order fear it will‚ it’s clear who will benefit: Big Tech (and‚ its “symbiotic partner‚” the government). Today‚ ironically named OpenAI‚ as well as similar projects by Microsoft and Google‚ are very much so close-sourced and no doubt adverse to competition. The post Biden Administration Kicks Off Process Which Could Lead to Restrictions on Open-Source Software appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. To mitigate the impact of negative perceptions about its faltering economy‚ China’s prominent Twitter-like platform‚ Weibo‚ is actively discouraging certain users from publishing pessimistic content related to economic matters. This directive was highlighted in an online memo‚ which was verified by one of its recipients in a conversation with Bloomberg. A Weibo influencer specializing in finance‚ boasting over 76‚000 followers‚ disclosed in a recent post that they were advised to minimize economic discussions. Another blogger‚ focusing on Chinese markets and with a following exceeding 16‚000‚ echoed this sentiment by posting a notice that emphasized the importance of not overstepping boundaries‚ particularly on economic or financial issues. Requests for comments from Weibo’s representatives remained unanswered. This strategy by Weibo aligns with broader measures taken by China’s leadership to bolster confidence in the economy. Bloomberg reported that‚ in a recent Politburo meeting‚ senior Communist Party officials committed to enhancing the management of public opinion regarding economic matters. Recent economic indicators suggest a sluggish recovery post-pandemic‚ marred by low consumer confidence and ongoing real estate challenges. While not as overt‚ in the US the Biden administration is concerned about negative comments on social media platforms – particularly from young people on TikTok. According to various reports‚ President Biden wants to work to curb negative economic sentiment on the growing social media platform. TikTok influencers are voicing their concerns about the economy and their financial prospects more frequently‚ sparking concerns within President Joe Biden’s camp about the potential impact on his re-election bid in 2024. The popularity of hashtags like “Silent Recession” is growing on social media platforms‚ causing anxiety in the White House as they perceive these trends to be counteracting their narrative of “Bidenomics” showing encouraging developments. Notably‚ Generation Z and Millennials‚ when combined‚ are projected to have as much voting power in the upcoming year as the Baby Boomers and older generations‚ who have historically been the predominant voter demographic for many years. According to The Washington Post‚ a White House official said the Biden administration is “working with TikTok creators to tell positive stories of Biden’s economic stewardship‚ while also working with social media platforms to counter misinformation.” The post China’s Weibo App Urges Bloggers to Refrain from Negative Comments About the Economy appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. At a congressional review on Wednesday‚ Transport Department official was fervently scrutinized over the imposition of a federal “kill switch” guideline for cars by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie. A prerequisite for auto-producers to incorporate a kill switch as a solution to intoxicated driving was a distinguishing feature of the bipartisan infrastructure statute‚ signed off by President Joe Biden in 2021. Despite a spirited effort by Massie to halt the guideline‚ his amendment was defeated in the House of Representatives on November 7‚ with 229 votes against and 201 in favor. According to The Daily Caller‚ this kill switch is expected to monitor driver activity and terminate vehicular operation on detecting impairment‚ with all newly manufactured passenger vehicles required to incorporate this feature by 2026‚ as directed by Section 24220 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. During the hearing by the House Transportation Committee’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit‚ Massie questioned National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Acting Administrator‚ Ann Carlson. His main concern was about the specifics of the technology‚ and its current status of existence. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/massie-q-3.mp4 This “kill switch” gadgetry uses in-vehicle sensors to determine if the driver is impaired or under the influence‚ incapacitating the car if such irregularities are detected. Carlson admitted that while such technologies are available on the market‚ the technology needed to achieve the targets set by both the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Vehicle Safety Act‚ is not yet available. Further emphasizing her wariness towards hastily implementing a technology that may generate false positives – a situation where an individual wrongly assessed to be impaired is prevented from operating their vehicle – Carlson revealed the Biden administration’s ambition to create an “intelligent speed assistance” technology. The post Rep. Thomas Massie Rallies Against Privacy-Invasive Vehicle “Kill Switch” Mandate appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

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