Advice getting around YouTube sign in requirements? (or away from YouTube entirely?) - Privacy - kbin.earth

I got hit with the "sign in to confirm you're not a bot today". I thought I could get around it by firing up a vpn in a GDPR country, but I got the same notice there as well. YT-DLP gives me the same error, but curiously FreeTube, GrayJay, and NewPipe all seem to get around it. I don't know for how long, but they seem to all be...