Content Sharing Dynamics in the Global File Hosting Landscape

Abstract

We present a comprehensive longitudinal characterization study of the dynamics of content sharing in the global file hosting landscape. We leverage datasets collected from multiple vantage points that allow us to understand how usage of these services evolve over time and how traffic is directed into and out of these sites. We analyze the characteristics of hosted content in the public domain, and investigate the dissemination mechanisms of links. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest detailed characterization study of the file hosting landscape from a global viewpoint.