Is YouTube "watching" me?

[zombieman84]

It seems like if I watch a low-view video with copyrighted material in it these days, it often ends up getting removed the next day. For example, I'll look up a hard to find song on YouTube, and after quite a bit of searching, finally find a non-cover version. But the next day...

"This video is no longer avaliable due to a copyright claim by..."

And this happens all the time. So i've been wondering...has someone on YouTube put, like, a "Tracking Virus" or something on my computer that alerts buisnesses (or whatever kind of people do the deleting) whenever I look at a copyrighted video? I know that there are viruses that collect your website data for advertising purpouses, so I don't think this theory is that out there. So am I just unlucky, or does this really happen?

[Alchemist94]

I think they have bots to automatically scan videos for matches to the songs in their database, or something along those lines. Speeding up or slowing down the song a little is a way to get around it, I've heard.

[Yert]

Youtube is owned by Google, so very yes. But not in the retarded way you think they are.

[Asandir]

They could be tracking you, but I guess they are just quickly removing the mentioned material for their own sake.

[Suprememessage]

No it is because it appears in there database as an update and if they monitor it as suspicious they might view (and delete?) it.

[Lionelion]

i doubt theyre tracking you specifically, but vids with copyright material do tend to be taken down sometimes

[CaveStoryGrounds]

It happens, often. No one is stalking your actions, or at the very least I highly doubt it. Videos get removed all the time for breaching some random copyright, or even if they don't they still get flagged.

Try Grooveshark for your hard-to-find song as they have an expansive library of music.

[Coolowe23]

i really dont know dude but it MAY be a virus but idk lol

[wildfire4461]

Youtube doesn't take the videos down themselves. The company that owns the 3rd party material has to file the claim to have it removed or blocked in some places.

[Chdonga]

Youtube isn't watching you. They just like to remove anything popular that isn't partnered up with them.