I’m very upset these days. The web is really messed up. Can we really achieve even a little privacy? Some argue that it is a human right, but to me, privacy seems like a discussion for the elite, where only a few can afford this “luxury”, given the huge number of products we have to pay a premium price for in order to get a little privacy.
Some time ago, I tried to de-google myself, but one of the few things I couldn’t give up was my dependency on YouTube. I follow a lot of journalistic content on the platform, as many media outlets are moving their content there.
What’s the downside? The damn Ads. Google is a company that generates revenue through ads, and YouTube is no exception. Storing and distributing the vast number of daily uploads for free is not feasible. However, the problem lies in the company’s methods for personalizing ads and lack of transparency.
I have attempted to use various YouTube frontends to watch videos without interruptions, including Piped, Invidious, Yattee, and New Pipe. Unfortunately, all of these options provide a poor streaming and usability experience.
Finally, I reluctantly decided to subscribe to YouTube Premium and use the official app. Although I sacrifice some privacy, I gain peace of mind by avoiding various usability problems and tweaks.
In other words, Google won this battle.