The search engine giant introduced Google Photos in Jul. 1996 and offers users free unlimited storage for their photos and videos. It is a convenient way to save photos and videos since it is very accessible. Earlier, the search engine giant sent an email to some users admitting that some of the users' videos may have been sent to other people's account.
Google Photos Tech Issue
Google says it is writing to inform users that there was a technical issue that affected Google Takeout. It is another Google service that enables users to download their data to use with other apps or for backup. According to the search engine giant, users who used the service between Nov. 21 and Nov. 25, 2019, may have received a video that does not belong to them or an incomplete archive.
The search engine giant adds that Google Photos were incorrectly exported to other user's archives. Moreover, it admits that it affects one or more videos in the users' Google Photo account. But, it appears that the issue was already resolved, and Google is asking users to do another export and delete earlier exports.
The search engine giant, however, does not say about the exact number of videos or users that were affected. But, it says that it is around 0.01 percent of Google Photo users who used Google Takeout. Google Photos has more than 1 billion users, according to Business Insider.
The issue was resolved within five days, and according to The Verge, no photos were affected by the technical issue. The search engine giant is currently taking criticisms because it seems to appear casual about the issue. Having your photos or videos sent to other people is a big deal.
Despite Google recommending that Google Photos users delete previous exports, there is no guarantee that those who got other people's videos would really delete them. People who were affected by the recent issue should receive an email from Google.
Google Reveals YouTube Revenue
In other Google news, Alphabet, the parent company of the search engine giant, recently disclosed the revenue of its video-sharing platform YouTube. It is the first time that the company shares this information since YouTube was introduced in 2005. According to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, YouTube made $15.15 billion in 2019.
The video-sharing platform made around $4.72 billion in the fourth quarter alone. Interestingly, these figures only include the advertising revenue for YouTube. Other nonadvertising revenues like YouTube TV subscriptions are not factored in those amounts.
