Yeah, Let's Blame YouTube For Lock Picking

from the pick-this dept

Another day, another case of misplaced blame over an online video. The latest is that it appears some people are upset about lock picking videos on YouTube. Note that they're not upset about the fact that their locks are vulnerable -- but that YouTube has videos on how to pick them. The thing is, plenty of people already know how to pick locks. I had (of all people) an art teacher in high school teach me how to pick locks and how to make lock picks using school equipment (it was a fun class, as you might imagine). I've also owned a set of books on lockpicking for well over a decade. No one thought to blame the printing press for making those books. Locks can be picked -- that's a fact. YouTube isn't the problem here. In some ways, this is the same "security by obscurity" discussion that happens all the time -- though some claim that it's different with physical locks, because they're not as easy to "patch." Of course, all of that assumes that it's these newly available videos and explanations that are leading to more malicious lockpicking. The fact is that the locks are vulnerable. Denying that by hiding the videos on YouTube doesn't solve much. If someone really wants to pick your locks, they'll find a way -- YouTube videos or no YouTube videos.

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