Google warns users of these apps that their experience may deteriorate soon. They may “experience buffering issues” or see errors such as “the following content is not available on this app” when trying to watch videos.

Similar to Google Search, ads have become insufferable for many users of the service. There are too many of them, they may break the viewing experience, and they may show inappropriate content.

YouTube Premium is expensive. What weights more for some users is that its functionality is severely limited when compared to third-party apps.

The cat and mouse game continues.

For those looking to avoid ads or improve privacy, here are some options for free, open source, privacy-friendly frontends to YouTube without advertisements:

https://www.privacyguides.org/en/frontends/#youtube

  • Meltrax@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    The Internet is actually free. Services on it aren’t always. The issue with YouTube monetizing, for me, is 1) they are doing it retroactively and 2) they’re monetizing content made by others.

    • RealFknNito@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      The internet is actually free

      Okay I’ll let Verizon know so they can stop charging me monthly. I’ll let Google know the servers they bought should have been free. That the electricity to keep them running, also free. It’s all just fuckin free!

      How long have you been on the internet? Two weeks? Three? How did you even find Lemmy?