From: marionf@fact.com   
      
   Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:   
   > Will those tools profile and log your YouTube experiences? :)   
      
   I get the worry where I can only say that they're designed not to do that.   
      
   For years, on Android, I've been using the FOSS NewPipe app which "says"   
   it's designed for privacy (by storing all activity on your own device, and   
   by using a universal anonymous YouTube account that everyone else uses).   
       
      
   NewPipe is open source, but of course, you need "someone" you trust to read   
   and understand that open source, so being FOSS doesn't guarantee honesty.   
       
      
   The beauty is you never get asked to log into a Google Account and you   
   never see the four types of Google-inserted ads which other people see:   
    a. Pre-roll ads (before the video starts)   
    b. Mid-roll ads (interrupting the video)   
    c. Banner ads (overlaying the video)   
    d. Sidebar ads (on the YouTube page)   
   But you do see   
    e. Creator sponsorships (embedded in-video verbal promotions)   
      
   Since I started this quest for a free open-source privacy-aware desktop   
   YouTube app replacement yesterday, I've only tested FreeNews so far.   
       
       
     (Release 0.23.9 Beta)   
    Size: 114222533 bytes (108 MiB)   
    SHA256: 03478A17C11069BCB613810AB10096DF4E119435E36C34F755793BF24B5311FC   
      
   To answer your question as directly as I know how to answer it, FreeTube is   
   said to be designed with privacy in mind, and according to its   
   documentation and community, it does not profile or log your YouTube   
   activity in the way that Google does.   
      
   It does store subscriptions, history, and playlists but it says it does so   
   only locally on your device, without syncing to any cloud or requiring a   
   Google account. The stated goal is for your viewing habits to not be as   
   easily being tracked across devices or used to build a behavioral profile.   
      
   It also uses the Invidious API (or optionally the YouTube API if you   
   choose), which helps avoid direct contact with Google's tracking   
   infrastructure. And since FreeTube is open source, anyone can inspect the   
   code to verify these claims-though of course, that requires technical trust   
   in the reviewers and in the media reports when comparing privacy apps.   
      
   So while no software can offer a 100% guarantee unless you audit it   
   yourself, FreeTube's architecture and philosophy are said to be built to   
   minimize data collection and maximize user control. It's one of the few   
   tools that aims to give you back your autonomy while still letting you   
   enjoy YouTube content.   
      
   Even if it didn't give you privacy, I don't see no' stinkin' ads with it!   
   :)   
      
   Note I was planning on testing in this order, but that will take time.   
    1. freetube   
    2. minitube   
    3. pstube   
    4. nativeyoutube   
      
   Which is why I'm hoping someone else knows more about these privacy-based   
   YouTube app replacements for the desktop (mine happens to be Windows 10).   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)