Post Jan. 31
When anyone thinks of MegaUpload, the first thought that comes to mind is probably, “Oh, it’s the place where you can watch movies for free.” While this was a common use for the site, there were plenty of legitimate users who used the service to store their files. These files were business documents, photos, and school work. Now, the United States Government has stated that they intend on destroying all of MegaUpload’s data.
First, a little bit of background on why MegaUpload was shutdown. MegaUpload served millions of copyrighted works to anyone who wanted to download them. The same can be said about quite a few file upload sites, but there is one major difference. When someone who represented the copyright holder filed a request to have the content removed, the site would remove the data. MegaUpload would simply remove the offending link to the content, leaving all the other links intact. In essence, the content was never really removed. While everyone, except the copyright holders, is sad to see the site go, there are far more worrisome implications of this shutdown.
More and more people are using cloud services to store important data every day. The concept is to have access to your data wherever you are. Many users assume that their data is safe and sound in this mysterious “cloud”. But what happens when the company holding your data is shut down? In the case of MegaUpload, the government seized all of their servers, money, and domains. This effectively makes it so there is no way for end users to access their files. MegaUpload is trying everything it can to stop the destruction of user data, but the authorities are not giving them any options. Files, such as family photos, are all going to be erased very soon if all legal recourses fail.
If the data is destroyed, customer trust in cloud services may begin to sway. For now, cloud services, while useful, should only be used as one method to store your files. Always keep a backup of the files offline in case something of this magnitude occurs. Also, before using a service, read the terms and conditions so that you understand the service. The largest cause of problems with technology is ignorance toward the technology.