I've been having some weird issues over the last few days with not being able to search for things in YouTube when I'm logged in via SmartTube account.
So I decided to try accessing it directly. Well guess what? It looks like YouTube now requires age verification in AU.
Sorry Google... I'm not uploading my passport, drivers licence or govt id to watch your shit. I am however now very incentivized to use Tube archivist and Jellyfin, plus cron job to scrape your shit with gleeful abandon.
EDIT: Rather than removed about it, I did something and made Smarttube work without a google account. If that floats your boat, have at it. It supports direct import of your saved playlists via Google Takeout ZIP file, subscriptions etc without needing a youtube account.
Also, remember the excellent TubeArchivist exists if you want even more control.
Really not Google's fault. Talk to your local representatives. And all these people complaining about Meta and other social platforms "harming children" instead of just harming fucking everyone . Well how is Google going to protect the children without knowing who they are?
Yes, it's all performative nonsense but talking to govt reps is a long wait for a bus that never arrives.
So - as usual - sailing the high seas will be the solution.
Frankly, i'm thankful for the enshittification. As of right now, we can still access YT fully (search etc)...so long as we're not logged in. It boggles my mind how that makes any sense.
Not logged in? Sure, watch whatever you want.
Logged in, want to access your saved play lists, search etc? Papers please.
That may be true but the point is they're the only ones with the power to change that.
That hasn't been my experience. About half the time YT will block me from accessing videos without being signed in "to make sure I'm not a bot".
Oh, lovely :/. I do hope that starts to happen here too. Gives me an excuse to hyper focus on an over engineered solution.
No better fuel then spite.
Thank you for joining us Anthony Albanese, but many of us are aware that is bullshit, and that if you wanted to protect people, you would be doing a lot of things very differently.
I don't know who that is or who you think I am but I certainly don't control any of that.
Albo is our prime minister. That commenter is sarcastically suggesting that you're quoting the party's talking points.
Wouldn't the prime minister be the one responsible for that legislation? Wouldn't the party's talking points be "yes we did that?" All I know is it's not Google. Meta, surely, but ultimately the buck stops with the politicians.
That was the point, the post is about how it is in Australia "AU"
...what was the point again? That you agree that it's not Google?
Go back to the beginning and understand the thread is about Australia, and that Anthony Albanese is the Australian prime minister, the leader of the government that introduced a ban on under 16 social media access, and wants ID for all online usage.
I never didn't understand that. Nothing I said was ever specific to Australia. What I said was that Google is not responsible.
You really very clearly did not understand that, but please fell free to pretend that you have won the internet, and don't y'all forget to pick up your free fries.
What a funny thread to read. That poster truly is clueless, but doing a big ol childish “NUH UH I NEW ALL ALONG U R THE NOT KNOWING 1”
It's always a full moon somewhere on the internet.
You really very clearly did not understand that nothing I said had anything to do with Australia, or any other specific country, but rather who is responsible for age verification, which is whoever your local representatives are, and not Google. Nice strawman though.
My mistake, hello donald trump