Digg Buckles to users over HD-DVD AACS Processing Key number/font>

Digg.com has issued a statement to users after a major digg-a-volt, While you were sleeping, a user posted the HD-DVD AACS Processing Key number, which would allow someone to crack the copy protection on an HD-DVD. Digg deleted the story which received over 15,000 diggs, along with the user account.

After the move, Digg's front page was filled with stories with the HD-DVD AACS Processing Key number or criticizing Digg for its actions.

Now Digg.com is sorry. Founder Kevin Rose writes

Today was an insane day. And as the founder of Digg, I just wanted to post my thoughts...

In building and shaping the site I've always tried to stay as hands on as possible. We've always given site moderation (digging/burying) power to the community. Occasionally we step in to remove stories that violate our terms of use (eg. linking to pornography, illegal downloads, racial hate sites, etc.). So today was a difficult day for us. We had to decide whether to remove stories containing a single code based on a cease and desist declaration. We had to make a call, and in our desire to avoid a scenario where Digg would be interrupted or shut down, we decided to comply and remove the stories with the code.

But now, after seeing hundreds of stories and reading thousands of comments, you've made it clear. You'd rather see Digg go down fighting than bow down to a bigger company. We hear you, and effective immediately we won't delete stories or comments containing the code and will deal with whatever the consequences might be.

If we lose, then what the hell, at least we died trying.

Still, a number of people claim that HD-DVD is a Digg sponsor, hence the move on his part.

A story highlight

"Digg deleted my hard drive for posting the HD-DVD KEY! Now my hard drive refuses to write in binary. I get Error Code: 09-F9-11-02-9D-74-E3-5B-D8-41-56-C5-63-56-88-C0 . Oh noz."