Streaming Copyright Bot Use Poses Threats to Free Speech, New Platforms, EFF Says

Copyright bots like YouTube's Content ID system have inherent shortcomings, like the inability to differentiate between infringement and fair use or between similar-sounding general noises, meaning such bots aren't good at protecting free speech, Electronic Frontier Foundation Policy analyst Katharine Trendacosta blogged Wednesday. She said some content companies pushed for copyright bots to be required for platforms hosting third-party content, and, beyond being a threat to speech, that requirement also would be "a huge and expensive hurdle" for new platforms. YouTube owner Google didn't comment Thursday.