Mega has been under scrutiny since it launched and will continue to be so

Feb 1, 2013 10:52 GMT  ·  By

Mega has been going strong for the two weeks since it's been around, but all of the attention doesn't necessarily focus on the positive aspects. There was some criticism on the way Mega handles files that may be infringing, deleting everything it finds, no questions asked.

This had to do with Mega-Search, a site which promised a way of looking up files on Mega.

It wasn't associated with Mega in any way, but it used its logo and name. It wasn't a true search engine either since the way Mega is set up doesn't allow for search engines.

So Mega blocked the site and possibly others like it, while also removing most of the files found there. It apologized for any legitimate users that may have been caught in the crossfire, but said that they pretty much had it coming since they made the encryption key public.

"We apologize to the very small number of users who, due to MEGA's cautious legal practices, had some of their authorized files mistakenly taken down," Mega wrote.

"We do believe that by ignoring our advice and making encryption keys public, especially through sites that do not even implement a proper notice-and-takedown protocol, you were not entirely unprepared for negative repercussions," it added.

It's a poor excuse though, the site wouldn't be offering a way to make keys public if it didn't want people sharing them. Complaining about people using a feature provided by the site doesn't seem like the most gracious of ways to treat your users.

Still, if Mega finds a way to strike a balance between keeping itself out of trouble and not deleting legitimate files, most people won't care about a small hiccup.

Mega also provided some updates on the site itself, the big one being the ability to change your password. Because all of your files are encrypted with keys based on your password, it's not as easy as with other site.

If you're logged into the site, it won't be a problem, but if you're not, it's trickier. For now, the only way to reset your password without logging in first is to have no files in your account.