Google 'Security' Changes Will Make Old Content Harder to Find on YouTube, Drive

Soon, public links to a large number of items stored on Google Drive and YouTube will stop working due to an upcoming Google security update.

The Verge reports that soon public links to an unspecified number of items store on Google Drive and YouTube will stop working as Google changes the way it handles link sharing on both services. Active users may be able to opt-out of the switch but files and videos that have been left on inactive accounts may disappear forever.

Google is introducing a new link-sharing system that it says increases security. On YouTube, newer links are allegedly more difficult for anyone to guess or gain access to without permission. The new links also will tie more activity to specific accounts and requiring viewers to log in, which allows access to be tracked and made a part of each user’s profile.

YouTube posted a video explaining the link changes which can be seen below:

Any videos that are marked as “unlisted” on YouTube will be affected by the update. Any unlisted videos uploaded prior to 2017 will have their status changed to Private starting on July 23rd. The way Private videos work now, that will kill any older links to unlisted videos or embeds, and it limits sharing to a maximum of 50 people all of whom need a Google account to view the video.

For users that prefer to keep sharing their old Unlisted videos, they can opt-out of the new update by filling out this form over the next month. Google Drive is going through the same change, clicking on a link to access cloud-stored filed will now include a resource key that determines who does or does not get access. If you’ve already accessed a file then you will continue to have access to it, if that is not the case then you’ll need to make a request to access the file or folder.

Google ‘Security’ Changes Will Make Old Content Harder to Find on YouTube, Drive

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