Zelda Feb 2
Stuart Celarier โŒ๐Ÿ‘‘

[Repost] Clean YouTube links. When you get a link from YT, it includes an ID tracking back to YOU. It's a "query string" on the end of the URL like this:
...?si=[tracker_ID_here]

This ID allows YouTube (and their owner, Google, and *their* owner, Alphabet, and ALL of their associates) to track the people who click on the link, and the apps they used, back to you, building a network of none-of-their-business.

Good news: DELETE the "?si=..." part & the link works just fine without the tracking.

Feb 1 at 9:27pmWeb
Show threadAndy Linton ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช  โœ…Feb 1

@VisualStuart

I run an extension on the various Firefox instances I use called ClearURLs which cleans those up.

I also use NewPipe on my Android phone to view YouTube. It doesn't add those suffixes.

There are other options I'm sure.

Show threadStuart Celarier โŒ๐Ÿ‘‘Feb 2
@artnacrea Yeah, I am aware of such browser extensions. I am extra cautious about using or recommending browser extensions only because they are difficult to vet and pose security vulnerabilities. That's just me.
Show threadAndy Linton ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช  โœ…Feb 2

@VisualStuart

Absolutely. There's a tradeoff in all these options. I'm willing to live the pluses and minuses but others may need to do things differently.

Caveat emptor!

Show threadD IngramFeb 1
@VisualStuart Instagram does the same thing when you share links. Trim that stuff off!
Show threadLorraine ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿฆœ๐ŸŽถ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿค˜Feb 1

@VisualStuart

So, everything after the =

Show threadStuart Celarier โŒ๐Ÿ‘‘Feb 1
@Lorraine Not quite. Delete the ? and everything to the right of it. Enjoy!
Show threadLorraine ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿฆœ๐ŸŽถ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿค˜Feb 2

@VisualStuart

Okay! Thanks so much!

Show threadืคึผึฐืจึดื™Feb 2
@Lorraine @VisualStuart or make up a random one to stub in
Show threadsofticecreamlesleyFeb 1
@VisualStuart Thank you for explaining what needs to be trimmed and from what point instead of just scolding. ๐Ÿ˜Š
Show threadJackMexFeb 1

@VisualStuart

You are doing Godโ€™s work ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ

Show threadpenpencilbrush๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆFeb 1
@VisualStuart Thank you for posting that. I've been scolded for posting links with trackers, but they've never bothered to give instructions, so I ignored them. No idea what they were talking about.
Happy to remove trackers, now that I know what and how.
Show threadlachFeb 2
@VisualStuart this makes me wonder if it's possible to make the tracking data less useful by adding a random nonsense tracking string to the end of video urls. It's probably cryptographically unlikely to randomly match a real tracking string though.
Show threadRootbrianFeb 2
@lach @VisualStuart I use profanities and sexual references.
Show threadRichard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐ŸŒน๐Ÿšดโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ“ท ๐Ÿ—บ๏ธFeb 2

@VisualStuart

Works with links in newsletter as well, particularly ones from media

Show threadDan, some WH good nuz?Feb 2
@VisualStuart Thanks for the tip! 
Show threadGrumpyOldManFeb 2
@VisualStuart I delete everything beyond the actual link needed to get to a website when clicking links on Facebook as well. I'm not going to make Zuckerberg more wealthy through ad clicks.
Show threadOberst EnzianFeb 2
@VisualStuart Will do!
Show threadKevin RussellFeb 2

@VisualStuart

How are YouTube links formed, to embedded the playable video, and not a link.

Oh wise one. Please.

Show threadStuart Celarier โŒ๐Ÿ‘‘Feb 2
@kevinrns I don't know. That sounds like a great question to ask the great Mastodon community. Best luck!
Show threadLinda Rose SmitFeb 2
@VisualStuart use DuckDuckGo
Show threadBufordMFeb 2
@VisualStuart YouTube isn't the only site that appends trackers to its links. I always confirm that I am only posting the actual link.
Show threadThe Orange ThemeFeb 2

@VisualStuart For iOS friends, I've written a shortcut that will remove the surveillance from the URL in the clipboard. I have an icon right next to the YouTube app for this. It makes sharing links on my phone so much easier.

Edit: make sure the replace function is set to regex mode.

Show threaddxzdbFeb 2

@theorangetheme @VisualStuart This is great! Didn't know about the regex check box either.

It looks like some videos don't add tracking while others do. Wonder who decides - or if the amount of traffic on a video does that.

Show threadThe Orange ThemeFeb 2

@dxzdb @VisualStuart Thank you!

Huh, that's interesting. I used to remove the tracking manually, and I don't think I encountered a video that didn't have it. Do you have an example video? I'm curious.

Show threaddxzdbFeb 2

@theorangetheme @VisualStuart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5roTbLx0kY This already outdated one about youtube privacy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2muuD83L13w&pp=ygUUbWF0dHNvZmZyb2FkcmVjb3Zlcnk%3D This addicting off road recovery channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_5MJv-Jjy0 A James Bond behind the scene spoiler

I seem to have to work to actually get the tracking right now.

Is there any difference between macOS and iOS/iPadOS?

Also I use the StopTheMadness app - maybe thatโ€™s helping me?

Stop YouTube from Tracking You โ€“ 5 Essential Privacy Fixes

YouTube
Show threadStuart Celarier โŒ๐Ÿ‘‘Feb 3
@theorangetheme @dxzdb While viewing a YouTube video in the app or website, click the Share button and copy the link to the clipboard. When you paste the link into a Mastodon post / email to your congress person / rant to your grandma be sure to delete the 'si' query string parameter. Peace.
Show threaddxzdbFeb 3

@VisualStuart @theorangetheme yeah - I will now that I know to look for that.

But the โ€œsiโ€ tracking thing isnโ€™t always there and Iโ€™m wondering what controls that.

Show threadStuart Celarier โŒ๐Ÿ‘‘Feb 3

@theorangetheme @dxzdb No idea. I think it is always there for me when I use the Share button.

There are two kinds of people: those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.

Show thread๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ Paul Schoonhoven ๐Ÿ‹๐Ÿ‰Feb 2
@VisualStuart don't forget that lot's of other media companies do the same.
Show threadAssimilateborgFeb 2
@VisualStuart delete it before pasting to whatsapp or similar, as those are going to immediately take the link and creating a thumbnail/preview. And so youtube will know and can track. Sometimes, even after editing, the thumbnail retains the tracking ID and all your friends will be tracked as well.
Show threadNรถmenlลonyFeb 2
@VisualStuart better still - change a few characters in the bit after the si and mess with their algorithm. Also works.
Show threadRootbrianFeb 2
@nomenloony Yup, insert profanity!
Show threadStuart Celarier โŒ๐Ÿ‘‘Feb 2
@nomenloony That might make you feel good but odds are that it doesn't really "mess" with their algorithm: they try to look up the si ID for the resource and there's no match, end of story.
Show threadEvelyn EstelleFeb 2
@VisualStuart Good point. I just copy the URL from the browser bar though.
Show threadRootbrianFeb 2
@VisualStuart I just add "fuckyoutoo" or "suckmeballs" to it. Works every time.
Show threadRealZeroFeb 2

@VisualStuart As alternative to specific URL addons:

You can add this filter to your uBlock Origin filters to remove it for Youtube only:

youtube.com##+js(trusted-replace-fetch-response, /[\?&]si\=[\w-]+/g, , youtube.com/youtubei/v1/share/get_share_panel)

Important: You need to enable "Allow custom filters requiring trust."

Show threadkeeps vis.social runningFeb 2

@VisualStuart Yes!

All you need to share the video is the video id like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61I4hlig78w

See that "?v=61I4hlig78w" in that link? That is all you need to share the video, every ? after that is a tracker.

"Join ICE" - Jesse Welles (LIVE on The Late Show)

YouTube
Show threadRancho de la LibertadFeb 2

@VisualStuart alternative front ends for YT also used to exist that made it so you (and anyone you shared content with) could view things from YT not actually on YT. One was Invidious, and it used to work well but I'm uncertain about if YT has killed those projects, as I haven't used it in maybe a year or so. Would be safer than ever using YT on any personal device, though, so might be worth looking into if anyone on this thread cares to

*edit: typo