US Customs Using YouTube Records To Examine Drug Smuggler's Death Threats

from the perhaps-YouTube-isn't-the-best-medium-for-death-threats dept

Tue, Mar 20th 2007 11:37am — Mike Masnick

While Mexican gangs have been using YouTube to pass taunting messages back and forth to each other, it seems like that might not be such a wise idea. As with other cases of criminals using YouTube, only to have it backfire when that just made it easier to catch them, it appears that U.S. Customs Enforcement has executed a search warrant to get some information on supposed death threats sent via YouTube by a drug smuggler. It's unclear right now how useful the information from YouTube will prove to be, but once again this seems to suggest that rather than discouraging criminals from using YouTube, we should be absolutely encouraging it, to make it that much easier to catch and prosecute them.

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6 Comments

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Matthew, 20 Mar 2007 @ 12:12pm

eejit criminales
Any criminal that stupid will be caught any way. YouTube merely gets a little publicity out of it. It'd be great to think we can entice them all into a little bowl with a bit of cheese, but the smarter ones are those with the map to the trap for sale.
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Casper, 20 Mar 2007 @ 12:46pm

What does that mean?
So does this mean YouTube is helping fight crime? Like a super hero? A super hero that only targets stupid criminals?

I wonder what it's logo would be.....
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TheDock22, 20 Mar 2007 @ 12:48pm

Criminals
No one ever claimed most criminals were smart. I actually think YouTube should make some profit on it. Hype up the criminal videos, then more will be posted. And since it's the internet, it can't be entrapment.

Although more losers might commit petty crimes just to get their 15-minutes, but that's a risk I would be willing to take.
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Matt, 20 Mar 2007 @ 12:53pm

Lets just hope the criminals don't read Techdirt and catch on to our plan!
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Pedren, 20 Mar 2007 @ 1:08pm

Yes, to all of the pot-dealing crack-running Mexican druglords reading this post please look away now.

This post contains information that could wind you up in jail.

(The above comment was in its entirity sarcasm)

(please don't flame me :)
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Mar 2007 @ 5:26pm

Pedren you are
funny
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