3 ms·

I never really understood how MEGA is any better. Sure, personal files are encrypted, and thus it's hard to detect pirated files that I upload for myself. But a

I never really understood how MEGA is any better. Sure, personal files are encrypted, and thus it's hard to detect pirated files that I upload for myself. But a lot of piracy happens with publicly downloadable files, which MEGA can definitely decrypt and search for copyright violations. I'll be honest -- I've used both MEGA and Megaupload for piracy, and MEGA makes it easier.

SXX 5y ago
How can MEGA decrypt those "publicly shared" files to scan them? Do you think they should scan whole internet for such file links?
- stjohnswarts 5y ago
  I think only a zealot or MPAA/RIAA lawyer is blinded enough to see that as an actual answer to your question :)
jffry 5y ago
> But a lot of piracy happens with publicly downloadable files, which MEGA can definitely decrypt and search for copyright violations How would MEGA do this, without crawling the web looking for links + keys? Which is certainly something they'd have no interest in doing. Naturally, I'm sure that third party "rights enforcement" companies might trawl for these links and look for infringing content and issue a takedown notice to MEGA, but there must be an ongoing arms race between people sharing links+keys and the bots crawling for them.
- vmception 5y ago
  > How would MEGA do this, without crawling the web looking for links + keys? Which is certainly something they'd have no interest in doing. By doing that. They receive reports and take links down.
shmde 5y ago
> But a lot of piracy happens with publicly downloadable files, which MEGA can definitely decrypt and search for copyright violations. This is straight up wrong. Mega cannot decrypt files and search for copyright files just like that. They need to have the key for that. I have shared a lot of copyrighted stuff on mega and the links are still available publicly but in closed forums( still active ). mega would've taken it down a long time back if they knew what was in it. They can only take down files when corpos notify them with the base links to the file. If they don't it stays up.
- ReaLNero 5y ago
  So you're saying the file URL for publically downloadable files contains the decryption key?
  - jpgvm 5y ago
    Usually but not always. If omitted from the URL parameters then it has to be provided for decryption.
- DoItToMe81 5y ago
  I once downloaded copyrighted material to my drive. I never gave the key out, yet a few days later it was no longer downloadable due to said copyright violation. Has Mega's encrypted design been audited?
  - shmde 5y ago
    Did you import the copyrighted material from someplace else ? The base link + key was given to you by somebody else ? If YES then copyright holder got hold of the base link and notified mega. This is common. OR You uploaded copyrighted material to your own computer to your own cloud, downloaded it and the file got taken down ? This is not possible. If yes then I am in trouble.
    - DoItToMe81 5y ago
      Most likely the former. It was a while ago and I barely recall how it happened.

SXX 5y ago

How can MEGA decrypt those "publicly shared" files to scan them? Do you think they should scan whole internet for such file links?

stjohnswarts 5y ago
I think only a zealot or MPAA/RIAA lawyer is blinded enough to see that as an actual answer to your question :)

jffry 5y ago

> But a lot of piracy happens with publicly downloadable files, which MEGA can definitely decrypt and search for copyright violations How would MEGA do this, without crawling the web looking for links + keys? Which is certainly something they'd have no interest in doing. Naturally, I'm sure that third party "rights enforcement" companies might trawl for these links and look for infringing content and issue a takedown notice to MEGA, but there must be an ongoing arms race between people sharing links+keys and the bots crawling for them.

vmception 5y ago
> How would MEGA do this, without crawling the web looking for links + keys? Which is certainly something they'd have no interest in doing. By doing that. They receive reports and take links down.

shmde 5y ago

> But a lot of piracy happens with publicly downloadable files, which MEGA can definitely decrypt and search for copyright violations. This is straight up wrong. Mega cannot decrypt files and search for copyright files just like that. They need to have the key for that. I have shared a lot of copyrighted stuff on mega and the links are still available publicly but in closed forums( still active ). mega would've taken it down a long time back if they knew what was in it. They can only take down files when corpos notify them with the base links to the file. If they don't it stays up.

ReaLNero 5y ago
So you're saying the file URL for publically downloadable files contains the decryption key?
- jpgvm 5y ago
  Usually but not always. If omitted from the URL parameters then it has to be provided for decryption.
DoItToMe81 5y ago
I once downloaded copyrighted material to my drive. I never gave the key out, yet a few days later it was no longer downloadable due to said copyright violation. Has Mega's encrypted design been audited?
- shmde 5y ago
  Did you import the copyrighted material from someplace else ? The base link + key was given to you by somebody else ? If YES then copyright holder got hold of the base link and notified mega. This is common. OR You uploaded copyrighted material to your own computer to your own cloud, downloaded it and the file got taken down ? This is not possible. If yes then I am in trouble.
  - DoItToMe81 5y ago
    Most likely the former. It was a while ago and I barely recall how it happened.