Relaying internet census information

1. A method for verifying video statistics of a content hosting platform, the method comprising:

enrolling, by a measurement service, a client device as a panel client device of a plurality of panel client devices, wherein each of the plurality of panel client devices is to provide one or more panel reports independent of the content hosting platform;

sending, from the measurement service, a panel sniffer module to the panel client device, wherein the panel sniffer module is to cause the panel client device to send one or more panel reports to the measurement service in response to one or more videos associated with a particular video type playing at the panel client device;

responsive to a video associated with the particular video type playing via a player executing on the panel client device, receiving, at the measurement service, a panel report from the panel client device, wherein the panel report comprises first video statistics generated for a playback of the video, wherein the first video statistics are generated based on at least one of a video identifier identifying the video, a playback identifier identifying a playback instance of the video, a channel identifier identifying a channel associated with the video, or a content owner identifier identifying an owner of the video;

receiving a measurement report from the content hosting platform, wherein the measurement report is generated by the content hosting platform based on one or more census events received from a plurality of client devices that played the video associated with the particular video type, wherein the plurality of client devices comprises the panel client device, and wherein the measurement report comprises second video statistics generated for the playback of the video on each of the plurality of client devices; and

verifying an accuracy of the second video statistics included in the measurement report by comparing the second video statistics to a set of video statistics, wherein the set of video statistics comprises one or more video statistics included in panel reports received from each of the plurality of panel client devices, the one or more video statistics comprising the first video statistics generated for the playback of the video executing on the panel client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the measurement service, a plurality of measurement reports from the content hosting platform, wherein the plurality of measurement reports are generated by the content hosting platform and include a plurality of video statistics related to a playback of a plurality of videos by a plurality of players executing on the plurality of client devices; and

producing, using the plurality of measurements reports, an aggregated summary describing usage of the content hosting platform by the plurality of client devices.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first video statistics of the panel report does not include information that identifies an identity of a user of the panel client device or does not include information that identifies a location of the user of the panel client device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second videos statistics of the measurement report does not include information that identifies an identity of a user of the panel client device or does not include information that identifies a location of the user of the panel client device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measurement report is received by the measurement service from the content hosting platform via a persistent network connection, wherein the persistent network connection is kept open for subsequent measurement reports.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the panel sniffer module is to detect GET uniform resource locators (URLs) associated with the playback of the video associated with the particular video type by the player executing on the panel client device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein measurement reports are received by the measurement service from the content hosting platform at a rate that complies with network bandwidth or data processing restrictions.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein measurement reports are received by the measurement service from the content hosting platform in batches.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measurement service is hosted by a third party that is different from an entity hosting the content hosting platform.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions for verifying video statistics of a content hosting platform, the computer program instructions, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

enroll, by a measurement service, a client device as a panel client device of a plurality of panel client devices, wherein each of the plurality of panel client devices is to provide one or more panel reports independent of the content hosting platform;

send, from the measurement service, a panel sniffer module to the panel client device, wherein the panel sniffer module is to cause the panel client device to send one or more panel reports to the measurement service in response to one or more videos associated with a particular video type playing at the panel client device;

responsive to a video associated with the particular video type playing via a player executing on the panel client device, receive, at the measurement service, a panel report from the panel client device, wherein the panel report comprises first video statistics generated for a playback of the video, wherein the first video statistics are generated based on at least one of a video identifier identifying the video, a playback identifier identifying a playback instance of the video, a channel identifier identifying a channel associated with the video, or a content owner identifier identifying an owner of the video;

receive a measurement report from the content hosting platform, wherein the measurement report is generated by the content hosting platform based on one or more census events received from a plurality of client devices that played the video associated with the particular video type, wherein the plurality of client devices comprises the panel client device, and wherein the measurement report comprises second video statistics generated based on the playback of the video on each of the plurality of client devices; and

verify an accuracy of the second video statistics included in the measurement report by comparing the second video statistics to a set of video statistics, wherein the set of video statistics comprises one or more video statistics included in panel reports received from each of the plurality of panel client devices, the one or more video statistics comprising the first video statistics generated for the playback of the video executing on the panel client device.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the processing device is further to:

receive, at the measurement service, a plurality of measurement reports from the content hosting platform, wherein the plurality of measurement reports are generated by the content hosting platform and include a plurality of video statistics related to a playback of a plurality of videos by a plurality of players executing on the plurality of client devices; and

produce, using the plurality of measurements reports, an aggregated summary describing usage of the content hosting platform by the plurality of client devices.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the first video statistics of the panel report does not include information that identifies an identity of a user of the panel client device or does not include information that identifies a location of the user of the panel client device.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the second videos statistics of the measurement report does not include information that identifies an identity of a user of the panel client device or does not include information that identifies a location of the user of the panel client device.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the measurement report is received by the measurement service from the content hosting platform via a persistent network connection, wherein the persistent network connection is kept open for subsequent measurement reports.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the panel sniffer module is to detect GET uniform resource locators (URLs) associated with the playback of the video associated with the particular video type by the player executing on the panel client device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the measurement service is hosted by a third party that is different from an entity hosting the content hosting platform.

17. A system for verifying video statistics of a content hosting platform comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device, wherein the processor is to execute a measurement service to:

enroll a client device as a panel client device of a plurality of panel client devices, wherein each of the plurality of panel client devices is to provide one or more panel reports independent of the content hosting platform;

send a panel sniffer module to the panel client device, wherein the panel sniffer module is to cause the panel client device to send one or more panel reports to the measurement service in response to one or more videos associated with a particular video type playing at the panel client device;

responsive to a video associated with the particular video type playing via a player executing on the panel client device, receive a panel report from the panel client device, wherein the panel report comprises first video statistics generated for a playback of the video, wherein the first video statistics are generated based on at least one of a video identifier identifying the video, a playback identifier identifying a playback instance of the video, a channel identifier identifying a channel associated with the video, or a content owner identifier identifying an owner of the video;

receive a measurement report from the content hosting platform, wherein the measurement report is generated by the content hosting platform based on one or more census events received from a plurality of client devices that played the video associated with the particular video type, wherein the plurality of client devices comprises the panel client device and, wherein the measurement report comprises second video statistics generated for the playback of the video on each of the plurality of client devices; and

verify an accuracy of the second video statistics included in the measurement report by comparing the second video statistics to a set of video statistics, wherein the set of video statistics comprises one or more video statistics included in panel reports received from each of the plurality of panel client devices, the one or more video statistics comprising the first video statistics generated for the playback of the video executing on the panel client device.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further to:

receive a plurality of measurement reports from the content hosting platform, wherein the plurality of measurement reports are generated by the content hosting platform and include a plurality of video statistics related to a playback of a plurality of videos by a plurality of players executing on the plurality of client devices; and

produce, using the plurality of measurements reports, an aggregated summary describing usage of the content hosting platform by the plurality of client devices.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first video statistics of the panel report does not include information that identifies an identity of a user of the panel client device or does not include information that identifies a location of the user of the panel client device.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the second videos statistics of the measurement report does not include information that identifies an identity of a user of the panel client device or does not include information that identifies a location of the user of the panel client device.