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submitted 1 year ago by ylai@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml
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[-] Manmoth@lemmy.ml 36 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I don't know why anyone is using youtube directly when they can use Newpipe or Freetube. No ads, sponsorblock and even the ability to automatically skip intros, recaps etc On top of that no google account tracking or algorithms.

Edit: Adding "libretube" as well based on some of the replies to this comment.

[-] freebread@lemm.ee 19 points 1 year ago

I would love to but I mainly watch YouTube and other video content on my living room TV. That's probably a barrier for a lot of us.

[-] 1371113@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

This is it for me. Easier to get YouTube family thing and now my family doesn’t have ads and doesn’t have to root a phone to install the other apps. If it was just me, sure. I have another 4 people in my life that are hard work when it comes to tech and I have other things to do with my time.

[-] N4CHEM@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If you have some kind of Android TV device you can probably install SmartTube to have no ads and sponsorblock: https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTubeNext

Or Playlet on Roku.

[-] Manmoth@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago

I use Newpipe on an Nvidia shield in my living room.

[-] ozoned@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

Because the average person doesn't have a clue and they never think about this kind of thing. I've been called a conspiracy theorist by my own father as well as othesr for mentioning Snowden revalatins and using a VPN and all the privacy steps I take on the web.

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

After all Snowdon went through, it pisses me off when people say you're a conspiracy theorist just by citing the reporting that came from the whistle he blew

[-] the_post_of_tom_joad@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Propaganda worked on those people. I remember the news back then, it all focused on Snowden himself, rather than the revelations. Lots and lots of FUD in the opinion shows, all the talking heads were spending the bulk of their time opining on him, instead

Like the fact he left the us to escape prosecution, his landing in Russia. Remember they even tracked down his girlfriend or something ridiculous? I know I'm forgetting some of it. Anyway all that crap was designed to shift people's focus away from looking into his proof, and towards doubting the intentions of the person providing it. And boy, did it.

It worked, on a lot of people.

I still hear folks call him a traitor to this day, and they always parrot the FUD talking points i remember from back then to a T.

[-] Manmoth@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 year ago

Forgive me if you already know this but VPNs are just someone else's computer. It's good for preventing your ISP from snooping but you give that visibility to whoever operates the VPN so you're definitely trusting them not to be malicious.

[-] jjlinux@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 year ago

Wao, this push against VPNs is getting ridiculous. We're all well aware that most VPNs are not private. But using a VPN has it's advantages. Geoblocked media, ISP snooping, and many other things you can circumvent. Not all VPNs are private, and even those we believe to be private, most users have to subscribe over trust alone, as we have no way of knowing if they really are or if what they describe as how they operate is true or not. But using a VPN sure beats just leaving your browsing visible to your ISP and local government.

[-] ozoned@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Well aware. And I trust Proton more than my local ISP.

Love me some proton

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Its someone else's computer, but where your traffic is mixed with a ton of other people's traffic coming out of that computer. Essentially you're mixing your traffic with others. And youre often coming out of another countey with better privacy laws thsn your country. That has value in a number of ways.

[-] doublejay1999@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

My mom uses YouTube - she’s 80. My son uses YouTube- he’s 8. This is the internet now.

The open source, privacy evangelist types, who root their phones and self host nextcloud are a tiny minority.

[-] CH3DD4R_G0BL1N@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago

After hearing about Freetube, I finally set it up and was all on board, got it configured and then was deflated to see it apparently has no queue function? I use that feature on YouTube so much that I just had to stop using it pretty much immediately.

If I somehow overlooked that or it comes in a later development stage, I’d happily move to it exclusively.

[-] OminousOrange@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago

There is a bit missing with auto discovery on these frontends, which makes sense...if it doesn't track what you watch, it can't recommend things. Most have related videos though, so you're not just stuck with your subscriptions.

[-] CH3DD4R_G0BL1N@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago

Think you meant this for someone else. I see lack of suggestion algos as a good thing.

[-] OminousOrange@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago

Oh, I think I misunderstood what you meant by queue function. I get it now, the ability to pick a bunch of videos and have them play through, not a recommendations queue.

[-] Num10ck@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

FYI Queue/OnTheFly Playlists are already in the Feature Request list according to github, pog

[-] CH3DD4R_G0BL1N@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

Excellent, thanks for the heads up. Can’t wait to ditch the site.

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[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 1 points 1 year ago

I use NewPipe for this. Its great for queuing up music

[-] Trincapinones@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Not having a home page where I get new content based on what I watch is a pretty strong point, the mayority of people find new channels based on that

[-] Manmoth@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago

This is where I differ. I think the algos and video recommendations are manipulative. I simply watch whatever is new from my subscribed channels and occasionally something from the related video section. Even if cared about recommendations there is no way I would value it more than the other benefits.

All that being said check out Libretube. I think it has the recommendations on the homepage.

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[-] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

Either because they've never heard of it, they think it's difficult to set up, or they think it's less polished or reliable.

[-] onlinepersona@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago

I'd go with "because they've never heard of it". It's no more difficult to setup than any other application. See the download page.

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

[-] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

Oh, it's not, they just think it is. I have personal experience of this.

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[-] eveninghere@beehaw.org 23 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

viewers of select YouTube videos

So, now a policeman who doesn't like whoever YT user can unseal who that is... For a far-right policeman that can be anybody whose comment looks "woke".

I think I shouldn't use YT anymore. Actually, any SNS that uses my email...

Edit: they collected user identities on who watched videos on fucking "drones".

[-] Synnr@sopuli.xyz 19 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You know that ?si= at the end of the YouTube URL that is copied when you share a video from within the YouTube app?

That's an individual tracking ID specific to you. So if you've ever shared a YouTube video on lemmy, reddit, Facebook, tiktok, or anywhere else without removing that code one time, anyone at Google with access to the ID system can now link you to that account with your real name, IP address and time accessed, device name, etc.

[-] JohnnyEnzyme@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago

While I see that x10,000 with google links, I don't recall I've ever seen it for YT videos.

As a google user, what... what am I doing wrong? 😕

[-] Synnr@sopuli.xyz 8 points 1 year ago

As a google user, what... what am I doing ~~wrong~~ right?

Using a browser instead of the YouTube app?

Unless you're talking about Google links then yes. Amazon too, along with many other services. There's a ClearURLs Firefox add-on to remove them automatically.

But it's insidious with YouTube because people are much more likely to share YouTube videos on a public forum, and they just randomly started doing it one day.

[-] JohnnyEnzyme@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

Using a browser instead of the YouTube app?

Bingo. I'm using Chrome app on WinX desktop. (and yes, I'm a total idiot who's taken too long to switch over to FF & linux)

Amazon too, along with many other services. There’s a ClearURLs Firefox add-on to remove them automatically.

Cool. Myself, I just manually clear that tracking rubbish in the URL field, but I get that such is way easier on desktop browser.

You’re using Google, that’s about as wrong as it gets in the privacy space.

And I'm also using Gmail! :S
So just for gits & shiggles-- how badly would you say I might be hurt by my foolishness, at this rate?

@nebula224@mastodon.social

Btw, Nebula-- are you able to federate back and forth with Mastodon & Lemmy as a single stream? I'd love to see that.

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[-] nebula224@mastodon.social 1 points 1 year ago

@Synnr @JohnnyEnzyme what do you mean by right?

You're using Google, that's about as wrong as it gets in the privacy space.

But OK, let's say your threat model allows for use of Google in specific circumstances. You should set up your account in an isolated browser container in hardened Firefox, and only use it for YouTube. No other browsing in that container. Use a VPN maybe?

Then idk sip some more koolaid and pat yourself on the back.

[-] Synnr@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 year ago

User asked why they never see &si= on their links on Android. @Synnr said they may be copying the link from the browser, which suggests they don't even have the YouTube app installed, as it 'never happens to them.'

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[-] nik282000@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 year ago

You expect a cop to understand both the threat and entertainment value of a Defcon talk?

[-] delirious_owl@discuss.online 9 points 1 year ago

Fortunately you can use YouTube without an account

Even better, use an alternative frontend

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[-] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 year ago

No one should fear a knock at the door from police simply because of what the YouTube algorithm serves up

No one should fear a no-knock warrant from a SWAT team because of what the YouTube algorithm serves up.

FIFY.

Most police departments don't bother with doorknocking anymore.

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this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2024
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Privacy

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