With Facebook, the NSA and maybe even Siri spying on us, is there any sacred ground of privacy? Surely, Google and YouTube have our back, right? Unfortunately, think again.
YOUTUBE SPYING FOR OUR OWN GOOD
According to Youtube, their latest smart machine learning engine is simply for the own good of viewers. The new recommendation system uses deep neural network technology. If that sound familiar, it’s the same type that Google uses for search results. This technology will help Youtube find patterns and learn more about what viewers want with each visit. It may sound useful, but it’s hardly private.
GOOGLE MACHINE LEARNING BEST IN THE WORLD
The popular video sharing site is calling Google’s machine learning the best in the world. For that, they’re using it to deliver a personal recommendation engine that aims to understand each user in depth. According to Youtube, this new change will allow the recommendation engine to find and deliver videos that were uploaded less than an hour ago. Seeing as 400 hours of video are uploaded to the site every minute, that is no easy task. So just how is it able to read the minds of viewers so fast?
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WATCH
Just like Google will recommend services based on what you search for, YouTube will recommend videos based on what you watch. If you watch a lot of platypus documentaries, expect to see many more recommendations of your favorite duck-billed animal. Platypi are the least of your worries, though. As one can imagine, there are more, private types of video out there that some may not want to be advertised on their homepage. It’s understandable the recommendation system aims to help, but sometimes, people don’t want help. They just want to watch Minecraft porn without any further recommendations. Fortunately, there is a way around this. Just as you can delete your history on Google, the same can be said for the video sharing site. Deleting watch history will be possible, that way your friends will never know what kind of weird stuff you’re up to. Someone out there in the internet world will, though. A comforting thought, right?
