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| Google changes block old YouTube links |
Public links for many items stored on Google Drive and YouTube will soon stop working.
In the name of improving security, Google is changing the way link sharing between the two services is handled.
While active users can turn off the switch, abandoned files and videos can disappear into inactive or inactive accounts.
It does this because the shared link is now part of the new system that Google says will improve security.
And the new YouTube links don't seem to guess or visit anyone without letting in.
The new links also have the effect of associating more activity with a specific account and forcing the viewer to log in, making it possible to track visits and posts for each user account.
The YouTube changes will also affect all public videos, but they will be marked as unlisted.
Google said: Any unpublished video uploaded before 2017 will become private on July 23.
The way private videos now work removes outdated links or embedded content and limits the number of participants to a maximum of 50 people, who all need a Google account to watch them.
Google security changes:
For those who want to continue to share old unpublished videos with public links, integrations, and comments, they can fill out the form next month and sign out by account.
The only other option now is to redownload those videos and mark them as private.
Google Drive is also experiencing the same changes. Clicking links to access files stored in the cloud now includes a resource key that indicates who can access them and who can't.
If you access a file, you can still access it, and if you can access it directly, it will continue.
Otherwise, you will have to submit a request to access the file or folder.
If you have a personal account with Google or Gmail and use Drive. You will receive an email after July 26th reminding you which files are affected by this change.
If your account has an affected link, you can turn off security updates before September 13, 2021.