Security News > 2020 > November > GitHub threatens to ban users who bypass YouTube-dl takedown
GitHub has issued a warning that accounts could be banned if they continue to upload content that was removed due to DMCA takedown notices.
On October 23rd, 2020, GitHub removed the source code repositories for the popular video download tool called YouTube-dl after the Recording Industry Association of America, Inc. filed a DMCA infringement notice.
Angry users have been waging war against GitHub by creating new repositories containing the YouTube-dl source code.
Some of these uploads have been done in creative ways to taunt GitHub, such as exploiting a bug that allows users to attach commits to GitHub repositories they don't control.
As activists, journalists, and education commonly use YouTube-dl to archive free and public domain videos, GitHub CEO Nat Friedman has been actively trying to help reinstate the repository.