Simple YouTube Age Restriction Bypass | Hacker News Reader

Simple YouTube Age Restriction Bypass

github.com

41 pointszinekeller17 comments

Their requirement to login to your account to verify your age is such nonsense when alcohol websites can get away with simply asking if you're above a certain age.

It's a convenient excuse to collect data given what their primary business is.

If pornography websites (which host much more "spicy" content that what will ever be allowed on YouTube) manage to get away with simply asking for age (or not asking at all in certain locations) there's no justification for YouTube to not be able to do the same.

That's EU's AVMSD for you (and if you're not inside the EU Google is definitely erring to caution here to not upset more governments).

Is it ?

I did not know about AVMSD, and it doesn’t seem like having special provision to require login or drastic technical means:

https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/avmsd-prot...

> Programmes which might simply be "harmful" to minors can only be transmitted when it is ensured that minors will not normally hear or see them. This can be done by selecting the time of the broadcast or by any technical measure such as e.g. encryption

> When harmful programmes are not encrypted, they must be preceded by an acoustic warning or by means of a clearly identifiable visual symbol throughout their duration.

If only it was just login. Not so long ago Google started requiring credit card or national ID/passport verification for age restricted videos in EU. I’m not sure if it’s still a thing since lately it seems like I’m able to watch age restricted content again without providing any of those, but a few months ago I wasn’t able to.

Smart move for Google I guess. Makes it much more likely that you impulse buy a premium YouTube subscription, since you are then only a click away from a nag popup and don't have to type in your CC details.

Straw man argument.

The worst of YouTube is way worse than alcohol advertising.

I’d prefer more fine, or even coarse grained control over content available to my accounts.

There will always be a way to bypass it, but there is some right gnarly stuff on there.

You can simply replace my example with pornography websites as a sibling comment suggested.

a browser extension when the only time this matters to me is when I’m on a smart tv, set top box, or video game console that has their own youtube app that would be cumbersome to sign in to

I use an old laptop plugged into the TV with a wireless mouse and keyboard. Smart TVs and consoles are just nothing but unfixable problems like this in my experience. I don't get the appeal.

I quite like my nvidia shield. The pro, not the shitty tube thing.

I don't like how after an update my home screen is full of ads. Just show me the two apps (Newpipe, Plex) that I use and get the hell out of my way.

Excellent. I'd been using mpv to watch age restricted videos after the embed verification bypass was fixed, but this is much more convenient.

nice, i personally do not have a use for age restricted youtube videos often but sometimes i do but by then i just am too lazy to sign up for a youtube account/google.( dont have a google account btw) so this might be helpful.

one question, does it only query age restricted videos to the proxy or all videos when its installed?

second, i assume the userscript is less resource hungry?

> i personally do not have a use for age restricted youtube videos

The main problem is that a lot of science videos that contain flames or "dangerous" stuff are now age-restricted. It's not just about the content you'd typically associate with age-restrictions.

> one question, does it only query age restricted videos to the proxy or all videos when its installed?

I have used it and it only kicks in when the video is actually age-restricted (which makes sense when you are thinking about bandwidth and peering, especially if you want to watch 4K videos!) It seems though that the default proxy is a bit slow.

Edit: I just checked and it seems that the only proxied parts are the authentication and video URLs, the videos are being streamed directly from YouTube.

ok. that give me more confidence to use this and test it. good idea all in all

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