Both @GuidedHacking and CheatTheGame's channels are gone since yesterday, and more getting banned today!

Recently, you must have heard on the 'net by now about Rockstar cracking down on people making GTA V Game mods/cheats, going as far as raiding their homes with police and dragging them into court, but now it seems YouTube has decided to start cracking down on any channel that has videos 'showing' people how to use programs like x64dg to make 'game cheats' or 'mods' and flat out terminating all their videos, channel itself, and does not look like YT is going to backdown on this latest enforcement actions, refusing so far to listen to the growing backlash on social media over their Dalek-like actions!

We'd like to inform you that we've received a Circumvention of Technologies complaint regarding your YouTube account. Upon review, we've determined that activity in your account violates YouTube's Terms of Service. As a result, we've terminated your account. If you would like to appeal the suspension, please submit this form.

When we say circumvention of technological measures, we’re referring to tools that allow users to evade a software’s licensing protocol. This can mean serial numbers, keygens, passwords, and other methods to hack software or games.

A CTM claim is appropriate when the infringed material isn’t present in the video (or directly linked to), but the video offers a way for users to access it illegitimately.

You can see more reports on the growing 'reddit' thread linked below, but what are your thoughts on the whole new 'enforcement' action by YT over 'modding/hacking/cheats' videos on their platform?

Source #1: Reddit
Source #2: MaxConsole

 

[weatMod]

"Rockstar cracking down on people making GTA V Game mods/cheats, going as far as raiding their homes with police and dragging them into court,"
these people (rockstar executive officers and developers) need to be doxxed and swatted

 

[Kippykip]

"Rockstar cracking down on people making GTA V Game mods/cheats, going as far as raiding their homes with police and dragging them into court,"
these people (rockstar executive officers and developers) need to be doxxed and swatted

ok mate calm down

 

[weatMod]

This is why we need decentralized, future proof solutions. With Google literally being the INTERNET right now, the end of every free thinker is as close as one could imagine.

the internet has a serious ewww problem
this is why we need an Endlösung der googlefrage
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Endlösung

 

[CoolStarDood]

My opinion on cheats and mods is: if its not hindering other people's experience. im fine with it. (and if a mod contains copywriten material, the company who owns it can obviously sue them)

 

[marazzmatika]

Ok, videos about hack, crack of pirates copies of games its ok, but MODS???, PLEASE...

Here comes the end of the u̶n̶i̶v̶e̶r̶s̶e̶ internet.

 

[Subtle Demise]

My opinion on cheats and mods is: if its not hindering other people's experience. im fine with it. (and if a mod contains copywriten material, the company who owns it can obviously sue them)

I disagree. Epic games tried suing that one teen for making a video showing Fortnite cheats. The teen won. They went about it completely the wrong way. They made a DMCA claim on his video instead of a ToU violation, which when he counter-claimed and restored his video, forced Epic to file a lawsuit based on copyright infringement. Now, cheats and mods by their very nature require both reverse engineering and a small portion of either copyrighted code or part of an asset or something else completley mundane. Such things (the reverse engineering for interoperability with another program, in particular) are either considered fair use under the DMCA, or he got a really smart judge and/or lawyer who knows how things in this world are supposed to work.

 

[eyeliner]

I hate Rockstar's games and don't really like Youtube.
Rockstar's games are all samey.

Now, messing with players that spend time with their games, devote hours to make content for them, is a crappy thing to do. Mostly, the mods make the games more interesting, and longer lasting. I can't see them loosing anything but respect from gamers.

 

[Taleweaver]

To be honest: I'm surprised it took them so long. Youtube is a public space and had no reason to endorse or even wanted to be related to piracy. They condoned it, but as this is youtube (with more videos being uploaded than a sane man can ever hope to watch) it's more likely that the vids stayed up because there were worse videos that took priority.

On top of that: videos are admittedly a fast way to put up a guide and to watch them, but they are a pain to edit. Result: every time a hack becomes obsolete or outdated, it becomes forgotten. Sometimes the author is smart enough to edit some things in the old video, but I've seen a fair share of people that were misguided by youtube vids that were created in a time that the hack still worked.
So...on the bright side, at least the myriad of outdated hacking videos get flushed off the planet.

EDIT: I should note, though, that there are two contexts in which you can read the topic. The thread title (to me) seems to be about hacking for the purpose of circumventing any monetary means or trolling fellow online users (e.g. aimbots). Upon reading the articles, the other context comes more into view: that where videos are shut down of modifications that harm nobody. That's obviously a rather different kind, and...perhaps it's because I read it so late and everyone's busy shouting allegations rather than analysing the why, but really: I don't have a clue why rockstar is doing this...

 

[enarky]

TBH, I think they're doing the community a solid with that move. Every. Single. Time. I watched a hacking related video it was pure, outdated garbage done by some kid looking for some quick ad bucks. There are plenty of great tutorials for stuff that doesn't outdate fast on Youtube, but anything related to illegal (or borderline illegal) stuff usually is outdated soon after the video finished uploading.

Good riddance, I say.

 

[Enryx25]

If they are closing pirating channels then good

 

[supersonicwaffle]

To be honest: I'm surprised it took them so long. Youtube is a public space and had no reason to endorse or even wanted to be related to piracy. They condoned it, but as this is youtube (with more videos being uploaded than a sane man can ever hope to watch) it's more likely that the vids stayed up because there were worse videos that took priority.

On top of that: videos are admittedly a fast way to put up a guide and to watch them, but they are a pain to edit. Result: every time a hack becomes obsolete or outdated, it becomes forgotten. Sometimes the author is smart enough to edit some things in the old video, but I've seen a fair share of people that were misguided by youtube vids that were created in a time that the hack still worked.
So...on the bright side, at least the myriad of outdated hacking videos get flushed off the planet.

EDIT: I should note, though, that there are two contexts in which you can read the topic. The thread title (to me) seems to be about hacking for the purpose of circumventing any monetary means or trolling fellow online users (e.g. aimbots). Upon reading the articles, the other context comes more into view: that where videos are shut down of modifications that harm nobody. That's obviously a rather different kind, and...perhaps it's because I read it so late and everyone's busy shouting allegations rather than analysing the why, but really: I don't have a clue why rockstar is doing this...

^

The problem is that the explanation from youtube is very broad and not very carefully worded.

When we say circumvention of technological measures, we’re referring to tools that allow users to evade a software’s licensing protocol.

There's a whole slew of content that would be affected, for example scientific content that explores security vulnerabilites.
A lot of these circumventions are also perfectly legal.
If they were JUST after game pirates they would say so. This is entirely a precedent set to censor content that's uncomfortable for some companies.

 

[SaberLilly]

The problem is that the explanation from youtube is very broad and not very carefully worded.

Yeah, that's their biggest problem, its so vague you don't know what's right or wrong, its like youtube wants people to leave the platform and go elsewhere

 

[Kioku]

^

The problem is that the explanation from youtube is very broad and not very carefully worded.



There's a whole slew of content that would be affected, for example scientific content that explores security vulnerabilites.
A lot of these circumventions are also perfectly legal.
If they were JUST after game pirates they would say so. This is entirely a precedent set to censor content that's uncomfortable for some companies.

I would assume there's a process involved, in which they actually look at the content and see whether or not it violates their terms. So, things like cracking photoshop or cheating online in modern day games would be affected. Of course, that's just being hopeful and also assuming Google/YouTube has some care as to their content creators and viewer base.

 

[supersonicwaffle]

I would assume there's a process involved, in which they actually look at the content and see whether or not it violates their terms. So, things like cracking photoshop or cheating online in modern day games would be affected. Of course, that's just being hopeful and also assuming Google/YouTube has some care as to their content creators and viewer base.

I don't agree. YouTube lives off of advertiser money and they have shown recently that they will compromise their platform to play nice with advertisers or copyright owners.

We know Apple has a huge problem with repair shops, repair videos and repair guides. Next thing you know using a tool such a screwdriver to circumvent technology such as a bolt will have your channel banned should Apple decide to run an ad campaign on YouTube.

Edit: If I understand correctly they also took down modding videos.

 

[wiewiec]

If someone not share copywrited material so where is the problem? Big companies rule - like last case with Amazon... Life hates emptiness

 

[goldensun87]

Well, time to move to DuckDuckGo for searching stuff.

 

[CrossOut]

I wonder does this apply to game trainers as well? Also you may see a load of people get hit with strikes and takedown notices even if they did not make the software that is used to cheat?

 

[froid_san]

Thats really vague... So if you upload a game with a horse with. A modded wings, or a HD texture mod or a translation mod or a mod that fixes a game or just hexediting/editing a .ini .txt game file you are screwed?

 

[triplekiller]

I just wonder at this point, would it not be better, to just make a whole new Content Platform?

I mean, if Youtube really sucked as much as people are saying...
...then maybe it´s time for something better?

Silicon Valley show us your Power!

 

[BullyWiiPlaza]

YouTube was always against piracy like cracking programs and handed out strikes if they noticed those kind of videos which usually only took a few days to happen. Why do some people think it was okay all along till now? It wasn't since forever, they only never managed to keep up with the pace of those uploads lol but the whole modding/cheating channels takedown is new.