Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

TCL

2026-06-08T06:05:11Z

Rudxain: app name leaking

{{Incomplete}}
{{CompanyCargo
| Founded = 1981
| Industry = Electronics,Phones,TVs,Home appliances,Finance
| Logo = Logo of the TCL Corporation.svg
| Type = Public
| Website = https://www.tcl.com/
| CompanyAlias = TCL,TCL Technology Group Corp,TCL Corporation,TCL Technology
}}
'''[[wikipedia:TCL_Technology|TCL Technology]] Group Corp''' is a Chinese partially [[wikipedia:State-owned_enterprise|state-owned]] electronics company headquartered in Huizhou, Guangdong province. TCL develops, manufactures, and sells consumer electronics like television sets, mobile phones, air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, and small electrical appliances.

==Consumer-impact summary==
*'''User freedom''': TCL [[List of phones that do not allow bootloader unlock|phones have perma-locked bootloaders]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lost-Entrepreneur439 |date=2024-11-18 |title=Bootloader Unlock Wall of Shame: TCL / BlackBerry |url=https://github.com/zenfyrdev/bootloader-unlock-wall-of-shame/blob/aa5ba6136153440d6f45509dfa67d79682800b2c/brands/tcl/README.md |url-status=live |website=[[GitHub]]}}</ref>
*'''User privacy''': According to their privacy policy, they will share some telemetry with 3rd-parties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TCL Privacy Notice for Business Customers and Partners |url=https://www.tcl.com/global/en/commercial-display/privacy-notice#disclosure-of-your-information-to-third-parties |url-status=live}}</ref>
*'''User experience''': Some of their electronic products, especially [[Android]] phones, have many [[wikipedia:Software_bug|bugs]].<ref name=":0" /> Some bugs are very disruptive, such as screens "randomly" turning off when brightness is low.<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/Rudxain |date=2026-03-22 |title=TCL 505 here, still Android 14. You're right about bugs, the screen "randomly" turns off when the brightness is "low" (even 50% is considered low). It's coded to turn off the backlight when the hardware (not Android) brightness goes below 0, and it's also coded to decrease the brightness if the image is "dark". A black image with small white spots is considered "darker" than a pitch black image, so I can't watch some 3blue1brown videos in peace 🥲

TCL is a scam, worse than zamzung, I'd dare to say. I'm gonna boycott them till I die or they get sued |url=https://reddit.com/r/nxtpaper/comments/1nckzv5/comment/obv34b6}}</ref>
*'''Market control''': In 2010, it was the world's 25th-largest consumer electronics producer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Richards |first=David |date=2019-11-24 |title=TCL Set To Be A Major Global CE & Smartphone Brand, Roadmap Revealed |url=https://www.channelnews.com.au/tcl-set-to-be-a-major-global-ce-smartphone-brand-roadmap-revealed/ |access-date=2024-08-11 |language=en-US}}</ref> It was the second-largest television manufacturer by market share in 2022 and 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pr |first=Ani |date=2024-03-13 |title=TCL Ranked as Global Top 2 TV Brand and No. 1 in 98 TV Category for Two Consecutive Years |url=https://theprint.in/ani-press-releases/tcl-ranked-as-global-top-2-tv-brand-and-no-1-in-98-tv-category-for-two-consecutive-years/1999228/ |access-date=2024-08-11 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:TCL|TCL category]].

===Misleading marketing of QLED TVs (2026)===
<blockquote>The second-largest TV maker has to stop calling its QLED TV sets that, as [[Samsung]] cries foul. The misleading advertising claims that TCL TVs use quantum dot technology, but the courts disagree.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zlatev |first=Daniel |date=2026-03-05 |title=TCL can't advertise TVs as QLED since they lack in quantum dots and color accuracy |url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/TCL-can-t-advertise-TVs-as-QLED-since-they-lack-in-quantum-dots-and-color-accuracy.1243552.0.html |url-status=live |website=Notebookcheck}}</ref></blockquote>

===Broken promises of software updates===
For several years, TCL has failed to fulfill their promise of upgrading many Android phones. So much so that they're blatantly lying about the [[wikipedia:Estimated_time_of_arrival|ETA]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=u/SoheilBalini |date=2025-09-09 |title=TCL update policy |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/nxtpaper/comments/1nckzv5/tcl_update_policy |url-status=live |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

===Non-compliance with software licenses===
TCL refuses to make most of its firmware publicly available. This breaks a [[Google]] contract, and may violate [[wikipedia:GNU_General_Public_License|GPL]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-10 |title=TCL has been actively ignoring my firmware requests |url=https://reddit.com/r/Android/comments/vvnuq6/tcl_has_been_actively_ignoring_my_firmware |url-status=live |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

=== Leaking app names ===
Some TCL phones store "full-screen" preferences for each app in the system-wide settings database. This allows ''any'' app (even without <code>[https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission#QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES]</code>) installed on the phone to get a partial (but almost complete) list of installed apps, including ''uninstalled ones'', as the system doesn't clear old preferences.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fernández Serrata |first=Ricardo |date=2026-06-03 |title=Android support? |url=https://github.com/undergroundwires/privacy.sexy/issues/324#issuecomment-4609170073 |access-date=2026-06-08 |website=GitHub}}</ref> This is a case of data protection negligence.

==See also==
*[[LG Television sale of personal data]]
*[[Samsung]]
*[[Samsung TVs]]
*[[Vizio]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Companies]]

Denuvo

2026-06-04T00:39:21Z

Rudxain: link: Forced cloud, Kernel level anti-cheats

{{StubNotice}}
{{CompanyCargo
|Founded=2014-09-26
|Industry=Video games, Digital-rights management, Software
|Logo=Denuvo logo.svg
|ParentCompany=Irdeto
|Type=Subsidiary
|Website=https://irdeto.com/denuvo/
}}

'''{{Wplink|Denuvo|Denuvo Software Solutions GmbH}}''' is an Austrian company that develops the [[DRM|digital-rights management]] (DRM) and {{Wplink|Anti-tamper software|anti-tamper}} software Denuvo Anti-Tamper (DAT) and the anti-cheat system Denuvo Anti-Cheat (DAC) for video games. The goal of DAT is to make cracking a game as difficult as possible, in order to protect a game’s launch window.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orland |first=Kyle |date=6 Feb 2018 |title=Denuvo: Our cracked RE7 protection is still better than nothing [Updated] |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/02/denuvo-our-cracked-re7-protection-is-still-better-than-nothing/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=ArsTechnica |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216035055/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/02/denuvo-our-cracked-re7-protection-is-still-better-than-nothing/ |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>

==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===High resource usage===
Despite '''Denuvo'''<nowiki/>'s denials,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lemon |first=Marshall |date=4 Sep 2018 |title=Two Point Hospital no longer uses Denuvo DRM |url=https://www.vg247.com/two-point-hospital-no-longer-uses-denuvo-drm |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=VG247 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250709125840/https://www.vg247.com/two-point-hospital-no-longer-uses-denuvo-drm |archive-date=9 Jul 2025}}</ref> its software has been documented to consume a lot of computer resources,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Machkovech |first=Sam |date=26 Dec 2018 |title=Evidence continues to mount about how bad Denuvo is for PC gaming performance |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/12/evidence-continues-to-mount-about-how-bad-denuvo-is-for-pc-gaming-performance/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=ArsTechnica |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251113203606/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/12/evidence-continues-to-mount-about-how-bad-denuvo-is-for-pc-gaming-performance/ |archive-date=13 Nov 2025}}</ref> notably documented for ''Tekken 7''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vazquez |first=Suriel |date=14 Apr 2018 |title=DRM Software Causing Performance Issues In PC Version Of Tekken 7, Says Producer |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2018/04/14/drm-software-causing-performance-issues-in-pc-version-of-tekken-7-says-producer.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521071901/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2018/04/14/drm-software-causing-performance-issues-in-pc-version-of-tekken-7-says-producer.aspx |archive-date=21 May 2018 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Game Informer}}</ref> and ''Sonic Mania Plus,''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leri |first=Michael |date=20 Jul 2018 |title=Sonic Mania Plus DRM Protection Slowing Down Legitimate Copies |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/409231-sonic-mania-plus-drm-protection-slowing-down-legitimate-copies |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Game Revolution |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260206175135/https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/409231-sonic-mania-plus-drm-protection-slowing-down-legitimate-copies |archive-date=6 Feb 2026}}</ref> both games where slowdown is extremely detrimental to players, especially in competitive settings.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 Nov 2017 |title=Does modern DRM really hurt gaming performance? |url=https://megagames.com/editorials/does-modern-drm-really-hurt-gaming-performance |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Mega Games |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251114171302/https://megagames.com/editorials/does-modern-drm-really-hurt-gaming-performance |archive-date=14 Nov 2025}}</ref> This slowdown often encourages users to prefer a crack of the game as soon as a crack releases, as seen by early cracks significantly harming sales.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tyson |first=Mark |date=13 Oct 2024 |title=Publishers face 20% game revenue reduction if Denuvo DRM is cracked quickly, according to new study |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/publishers-face-20-percent-game-revenue-reduction-if-denuvo-drm-is-cracked-quickly-according-to-new-study |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Tom's Hardware |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251019210731/https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/publishers-face-20-percent-game-revenue-reduction-if-denuvo-drm-is-cracked-quickly-according-to-new-study |archive-date=19 Oct 2025}}</ref> As a result of the high system usage, consumers with run lower-end hardware are often unable to even launch these games without running cracked versions, especially when the game's publisher has under-optimized it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bayley |first=Dominic |date=24 Sep 2024 |title=Are modern PC games badly optimized or is it just time to upgrade? |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2455340/are-modern-pc-games-badly-optimized-or-is-it-just-time-to-upgrade.html |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=PCWorld |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260116000508/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2455340/are-modern-pc-games-badly-optimized-or-is-it-just-time-to-upgrade.html |archive-date=16 Jan 2026}}</ref>

Developers have also blamed '''Denuvo''' for negatively impacting performance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parsons |first=Don |date=14 Apr 2018 |title=Tekken Director Says Denuvo Behind Recent Performance Issues On PC |url=https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/tekken-director-says-denuvo-behind-recent-performance-issues-on-pc |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251026031012/https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/tekken-director-says-denuvo-behind-recent-performance-issues-on-pc |archive-date=26 Oct 2025 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Tech Raptor}}</ref> Many of them have stopped using '''DAT''' in their games,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ariyasinghe |first=Pulasthi |date=15 Oct 2024 |title=BioWare confirms Dragon Age: The Veilguard won't have Denuvo or any third-party DRM |url=https://www.neowin.net/news/bioware-confirms-dragon-age-the-veilguard-wont-have-denuvo-or-any-third-party-drm/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260204163245/https://www.neowin.net/news/bioware-confirms-dragon-age-the-veilguard-wont-have-denuvo-or-any-third-party-drm/ |archive-date=4 Feb 2026 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Neowin}}</ref> with others utilizing it during the launch period but removing it from their games after some time has passed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Craig |first=Danny |date=11 Apr 2023 |title=Square Enix and Capcom remove Denuvo DRM from multiple games |url=https://hitmarker.net/news/square-enix-and-capcom-remove-denuvo-drm-from-multiple-games-2007312 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708174742/https://hitmarker.net/news/square-enix-and-capcom-remove-denuvo-drm-from-multiple-games-2007312 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Hitmarker}}</ref> Controversies surrounding performance issues has resulted in '''Denuvo'''’s brand image being severely tarnished, with a [[Discord]] server intended to be used for questioning being quickly flooded with harassment, resulting in an initial voluntary suspension<ref>{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Joseph |date=17 Oct 2024 |title=New Denuvo Discord Temporarily Suspended After Deluge of Hate Messages |url=https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/denuvo-discord-suspended-inappropriate-content |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128145101/https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/denuvo-discord-suspended-inappropriate-content |archive-date=28 Jan 2026 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Tech Raptor}}</ref> followed by a transition to periodic question and answer periods.

===Machine Activation Limits===
Many games that implement '''DAT'''<nowiki/>'s protections also come with machine activation limits, usually 5 activations per 24-hour period.<ref>{{Cite web |last=gamegpu |date=2025-03-14 |title=Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Denuvo DRM protection and 5 activations per day limit |url=https://en.gamegpu.com/game/assassin-s-creed-shadows-drm-protection-day-and-limitation-to-5-activations-per-day |url-status=live |access-date=2026-04-03 |website=gamegpu.com}}</ref> By imposing arbitrary limits on activations, buyers that have legally acquired the game are unable to play it on all their devices.

There are also accounts of users being locked out of access to their games by simply changing the version of {{Wplink|Proton (software)|Proton}} multiple times to get the game working/running correctly.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dawe |first=Liam |date=2025-05-15 |title=Denuvo will lock you out of games on Linux, SteamOS, Steam Deck if you keep changing Proton versions |url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/05/denuvo-will-lock-you-out-of-games-on-linux-steamos-steam-deck-if-you-keep-changing-proton-versions/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260405135829/https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/05/denuvo-will-lock-you-out-of-games-on-linux-steamos-steam-deck-if-you-keep-changing-proton-versions/ |archive-date=2026-04-05 |access-date=2026-04-03 |website=GamingOnLinux}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=minornine |date=2024-01-17 |title=Any way around 24 hour Denuvo activation limit when switching between Proton versions? :: Resident Evil 4 General Discussions |url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/2050650/discussions/0/4130430927307702044/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260405140147/https://steamcommunity.com/app/2050650/discussions/0/4130430927307702044/ |archive-date=2026-04-05 |access-date=2026-04-03 |website=Steam Community}}</ref>

===Games with DAT require an always on internet connection===
{{See also|Forced cloud}}
Games using '''DAT''' require an always online internet connection to play. '''DAT''' pings '''Denuvo'''<nowiki/>'s authentication servers to validate the legitimacy of the game.{{Citation needed}}

On October 2016, The following games during were unavailable due to Denuvo's authentication servers going offline for a couple days causing games to display an error on start up: Batman Arkham Knight, Mad Max and Shadow of War.[https://www.dsogaming.com/news/denuvo-server-problems-prevented-players-from-playing-batman-arkham-knight-mad-max/]

On 07 November 2021, Guardians of the Galaxy, Football Manager 2022, Planet Zoo, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider trilogy, Wolfenstein Youngblood, Mortal Kombat 11, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, Persona 4 Golden, Demon Slayer, among others became completely unplayable due to the Domain Codefusion expiring and not being renewed.[https://www.pcgamer.com/a-great-day-for-drm-as-denuvo-lapse-renders-tons-of-games-temporarily-unplayable/]

On 02 May 2024, Persona 5 Royal was affected after Denuvo's authentication servers became unavailable. [https://thegeek.games/2024/05/06/when-drm-is-harmful-a-popular-game-became-unplayable-for-hours-on-pc/]

==Products==

*Denuvo Anti-Tamper
*Denuvo Anti-Cheat

==See also==

* [[Kernel level anti-cheats]]

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Denuvo]]

Template:Clippy says

2026-05-30T19:42:54Z

Rudxain: ask for improvements; mention accessibility issues

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User:Rudxain/Matrix

2026-05-30T18:58:01Z

Rudxain: cite why-not-matrix

{{CompanyCargo
| Industry = Instant messaging
| Logo = Matrix logo.svg
| Type = Non-Profit
| Website = https://matrix.org/
| CompanyAlias = Element
}}

'''Matrix''' is [[wikipedia:Matrix_(protocol)|the name of a communication '''protocol''']] and the '''foundation''' governing the evolution of said protocol, (sometimes stylized as ['''matrix'''] or '''[m]''' for short).

==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}The protocol has many issues that affect user-experience and reliability.<ref>https://telegra.ph/why-not-matrix-08-07</ref>

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Example incident one (''date'')===
{{Main|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
===Example incident two (''date'')===
...

==Products==
{{Ph-C-P}}

==See also==
{{Ph-C-SA}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

User:Rudxain/Matrix

2026-05-30T18:55:17Z

Rudxain: intro and Cargo

{{CompanyCargo
| Industry = Instant messaging
| Logo = Matrix logo.svg
| Type = Non-Profit
| Website = https://matrix.org/
| CompanyAlias = Element
}}

'''Matrix''' is [[wikipedia:Matrix_(protocol)|the name of a communication '''protocol''']] and the '''foundation''' governing the evolution of said protocol, (sometimes stylized as ['''matrix'''] or '''[m]''' for short).

==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Example incident one (''date'')===
{{Main|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
===Example incident two (''date'')===
...

==Products==
{{Ph-C-P}}

==See also==
{{Ph-C-SA}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

File:Matrix logo.svg

2026-05-30T18:41:48Z

Rudxain: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Matrix_logo.svg&oldid=1043522508

== Summary ==
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Matrix_logo.svg&oldid=1043522508
== Licensing ==
{{From Wikimedia}}

User:Rudxain/Matrix

2026-05-30T18:19:39Z

Rudxain: copy Template:CompanyPreload

{{Ph-C-Int}}

==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Example incident one (''date'')===
{{Main|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
===Example incident two (''date'')===
...

==Products==
{{Ph-C-P}}

==See also==
{{Ph-C-SA}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

User:Rudxain

2026-05-30T17:54:11Z

Rudxain: mention easter eggs

I'm Ricardo Fernández Serrata. [https://rudxain.github.io/ Website] (includes contact info and bio). Note: The domain is a [[GitHub|GH]]-[https://docs.github.com/en/pages Pages] site. Most pages in the domain are <code>no[[JavaScript|script]]</code>-friendly, though.

If you're looking for a Linux article, see [[User:Rudxain/Unix|my page on Unix]].

You might also be interested in my

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20260420215524/https://github.com/Rudxain/RX-wiki/blob/main/wiki/Crap_inhibitors.md "Crap inhibitors" article] (archived, because [https://github.com/Rudxain/Rudxain.github.io/issues/17 this])
*[[User:Rudxain/Object transparency movement|Product transparency proposal]]
*[[User:Rudxain/Google breaks Termux|Google breaks Termux]] (multiple incidents)
*[[User:Rudxain/Permacomputing|Permacomputing page]]

BTW, I believe [https://github.com/Rudxain/blog/blob/main/proposal/DRY-T&C.md my proposal for human-friendly contracts] is relevant for the CRW (possibly [[Hidden EULA language#Resources|there]]?). See [https://discord.com/channels/1324835844812443810/1324835844812443813/1476657529999065250 this message]:<blockquote>I've posted [https://github.com/Rudxain/blog/blob/main/proposal/DRY-T&C.md this proposal for human-friendly contracts] a while back. There's some refs/sources that can be "mined" from it, but I believe most of the proposal is relevant to the CRW, so it deserves to be mentioned in some article. I'm asking because there's many articles where it could be referenced, so I'm not sure which is more "central" or relevant. Maybe this is a sign that there should be an article about "proposals for humane terms-of-service" or something similar? I did mention (in the post) that other people tried to solve similar problems</blockquote>

I have ''other pages'' in my user-space, but those are "[[wikipedia:Easter_egg_(media)|easter eggs]]" 👀

Talk:WhatsApp

2026-05-30T05:03:13Z

Rudxain: /* Shorter profile "About" */

Editor note: I was never suspended from WhatsApp (back when I used it), but even the remote possibility of suddenly losing access to ones entire messaging history at the whim of a Meta, Inc. employee is worrying. [[User:JodyBruchonFan|JodyBruchonFan]] ([[User talk:JodyBruchonFan|talk]]) 16:23, 11 February 2026 (UTC)

==AI button==

Is "Meta AI" button an incident worth mentioning? The button cannot be hidden from the UI [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] ([[User talk:Rudxain|talk]]) 08:47, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

:I believe it would be worthwhile if it can be tied to a consumer-rights issue, such as an unfavorable end-user agreement clause or proof of censorship like the [[DeepSeek]] AI engages in. — [[User:Sojourna|Sojourna]] ([[User talk:Sojourna|talk]]) 23:15, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

== Shorter profile "About" ==

IDK when, but WA has decreased the max length of user-profile "bio" ("About" text), and there's an '''expiration date''' which auto-clears the About.<ref>https://reddit.com/r/whatsapp/comments/1pjgtnh/new_whatsapp_about_is_shorter_than_normal</ref> This is an extreme regression to the original purpose of the About, which was named "Status" before they copied [[Snapchat]]'s Stories.

The "good" news is that it's not retroactive, so unchanged bios are left as-is.

Related problem: The "links" section of the profile is limited exclusively to [[Instagram|IG]] and [[Facebook|FB]]. So the user can only add 1 or 2 (or 3?) non-Meta links to their profile before exhausting the len-limit, ATP it's impossible to add more info.

Is all of this relevant to the article?
[[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] ([[User talk:Rudxain|talk]]) 05:02, 30 May 2026 (UTC)

Talk:WhatsApp

2026-05-30T05:02:04Z

Rudxain: /* Shorter profile "About" */ new section

Editor note: I was never suspended from WhatsApp (back when I used it), but even the remote possibility of suddenly losing access to ones entire messaging history at the whim of a Meta, Inc. employee is worrying. [[User:JodyBruchonFan|JodyBruchonFan]] ([[User talk:JodyBruchonFan|talk]]) 16:23, 11 February 2026 (UTC)

==AI button==

Is "Meta AI" button an incident worth mentioning? The button cannot be hidden from the UI [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] ([[User talk:Rudxain|talk]]) 08:47, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

:I believe it would be worthwhile if it can be tied to a consumer-rights issue, such as an unfavorable end-user agreement clause or proof of censorship like the [[DeepSeek]] AI engages in. — [[User:Sojourna|Sojourna]] ([[User talk:Sojourna|talk]]) 23:15, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

== Shorter profile "About" ==

IDK when, but WA has decreased the max length of user-profile "bio" ("About" text), and there's an '''expiration date''' which auto-clears the About.<ref>https://reddit.com/r/whatsapp/comments/1pjgtnh/new_whatsapp_about_is_shorter_than_normal</ref> This is an extreme regression to the original purpose of the About, which was named "Status" before they copied [[Snapchat]]'s Stories.

The "good" news is that it's not retroactive, so unchanged bios are left as-is.

Related problem: The "links" section of the profile is limited exclusively to [[Instagram|IG]] and [[Facebook|FB]]. So the user can only add 1 or 2 (or 3?) non-Meta links to their profile before exhausting the len-limit, ATP it's impossible to add more info. [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] ([[User talk:Rudxain|talk]]) 05:02, 30 May 2026 (UTC)

Talk:How you are getting F*****; AI edition

2026-05-30T04:46:00Z

Rudxain: Rudxain moved page Talk:How you are getting F*****; AI edition to Talk:AI degradation: see Talk/Discussion page

#REDIRECT [[Talk:AI degradation]]

Talk:AI degradation

2026-05-30T04:46:00Z

Rudxain: Rudxain moved page Talk:How you are getting F*****; AI edition to Talk:AI degradation: see Talk/Discussion page

==Relevance discussion==

I can see the effort that's been made to keep this consumer connected, but it still feels a bit 'things wrong with the general state of AI'. maybe just needs paring back a bit? idk

also, things that are bad for consumers are not necessarily consumer rights issues - model regressions are, for exmple, just a case of a company making a product of low quality.

Also the title 100% needs to change - the Wiki is not Louis' youtube channel, and the tone of titles should not match those of his videos. [[User:Keith|Keith]] ([[User talk:Keith|talk]]) 10:07, 11 May 2026 (UTC)

:ok first time. thanks for the input. Ill change the title, but really I left out of the technical details for your readers first. I can show you what they are doing all the way down to the code itself. We have kids killing themselves from this and don't know of a better title than this. Your kids killing themselves in the name of AI is definitely a way that we are getting f******. Although I agree with the title change, I do not need to change the writing. If not, just take it off. My feelings won't be hurt, but it will give me an idea of this sites actual genuine purpose. Tomato tomato on the bad for consumers comment. Consumer rights is all knowledge. If it is being held from you, than that is anti trust. That simple. We are not judges and find that statement unfair in context. I followed every rule laid out for this. [[User:Buttmunch|Buttmunch]] ([[User talk:Buttmunch|talk]]) 16:25, 11 May 2026 (UTC)
:I agree. I propose this gets merged with [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] and/or moved to the author's user-space [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] ([[User talk:Rudxain|talk]]) 04:43, 30 May 2026 (UTC)

How you are getting F*****; AI edition

2026-05-30T04:46:00Z

Rudxain: Rudxain moved page How you are getting F*****; AI edition to AI degradation: see Talk/Discussion page

#REDIRECT [[AI degradation]]

AI degradation

2026-05-30T04:45:59Z

Rudxain: Rudxain moved page How you are getting F*****; AI edition to AI degradation: see Talk/Discussion page

{{Delete|see discussion page}}
{{Cleanup|Issue 1 = Citations need to follow proper formatting. See [[Template:Cite web]] for info.}}

'''AI model quality degradation and consumer transparency''' refers to a set of systemic practices in the artificial intelligence industry that affect consumers using AI-powered products. These issues include the silent degradation of AI output quality over time due to self-referential training loops, increasing electricity costs passed to residential consumers from AI data center expansion, the deployment of AI systems in high-stakes consumer decisions without the ability to explain those decisions, and industry infrastructure narratives that limit independent oversight.

These issues are systemic and have been documented by the International Energy Agency, peer-reviewed research published in ''Nature'', IBM Security, the European Union's AI Act enforcement body, and the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

==AI model quality degradation (model collapse)==
Research published in ''Nature'' in July 2024 by Shumailov et al. established that AI language models trained on data generated by prior versions of themselves undergo compounding degradation of output quality — a phenomenon formally named '''model collapse'''.<ref>Shumailov, I., Shumaylov, Z., Zhao, Y., Papernot, N., Anderson, R., & Gal, Y. (2024). AI models collapse when trained on recursively generated data. ''Nature''. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07566-y</ref> As AI-generated content accumulates on the internet — and as AI companies use their own models to generate training data for successor models — each new generation trains on an increasing proportion of synthetic content. The consequence is that later-generation models lose access to rare information and produce increasingly homogeneous, repetitive, or inaccurate outputs while presenting them with identical confidence to outputs produced from human-generated training data.

An independent analysis published the same year demonstrated that even modest contamination — as little as 1% synthetic training data — can initiate measurable collapse, and that scaling the model size does not reliably prevent degradation.<ref>Dohmatob, E., Feng, Y., Yang, P., Charton, F., & Kempe, J. (2024). A Tale of Tails: Model Collapse as a Change of Scaling Laws. arXiv:2402.07043.</ref> The mechanism was also independently named and formally described by Dragolich Research Labs LLC in March 2026 as the '''self-eating mechanism''', with the additional finding that any AI system validating its outputs against its own prior outputs — rather than against an independently-produced external substrate — will drift toward self-consistent narrative regardless of accuracy.<ref>Dragolich Research Labs LLC. (2026). ''The Self-Eating Mechanism: The structural flaw in all information and AI systems.'' Zenodo. zenodo.org/communities/pi_origin_architecture</ref>

The consumer impact is that AI products marketed as continuously improving may be silently degrading on specific tasks. Consumers using AI for research assistance, legal drafting, medical information queries, or financial summaries have no standardized mechanism to detect whether the system they are using has degraded between versions.

===What consumers can do===
Request version history and training data disclosure from AI service providers before using them for high-stakes tasks.

Cross-check AI outputs against primary sources, particularly for tasks involving medical, legal, or financial information.

Use the open-source behavioral evaluation tool ''autonomy_eval.py'' (Dragolich Research Labs LLC, 2026, available via Zenodo) to measure output consistency across sessions for any AI system accessible via API.

==Electricity costs passed to residential consumers==
The International Energy Agency reported that global data center electricity consumption reached 415 terawatt-hours in 2024 — approximately 1.5% of all electricity generated on Earth — and projects this figure to nearly double to 945 terawatt-hours by 2030.<ref>International Energy Agency. (2025). ''Energy and AI: Energy Demand from AI.'' iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai/energy-demand-from-ai</ref> The growth is driven primarily by AI infrastructure: AI-optimized server racks draw 60 kilowatts or more each, compared to 5–10 kilowatts for a standard server rack.

A 2024 report from the Virginia state legislature estimated that average residential ratepayers in that state could pay an additional $37.50 per month due to data center energy costs.<ref>Martin, E. (as cited in MIT Technology Review). (2025). We did the math on AI's energy footprint. ''MIT Technology Review.'' technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech</ref> Bloomberg News analysis found that wholesale electricity costs rose as much as 267% over five years in areas near major data center concentrations, costs that are passed through to residential customers.<ref>Bloomberg News. (2025). How AI Data Centers Are Sending Your Power Bill Soaring. bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-ai-data-centers-electricity-prices/</ref> The typical U.S. household electricity bill rose 25% between 2014 and 2024, from $114 to $142 per month, with data center expansion a documented contributing factor.<ref>Pew Research Center. (2025). What we know about energy use at U.S. data centers amid the AI boom. pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/10/24</ref>

These costs are borne by all electricity consumers in affected regions, regardless of whether they use AI services. No federal mechanism exists requiring AI companies to offset residential electricity cost increases caused by data center expansion.

===What consumers can do===
Contact state utility regulators to request data center impact assessments before new AI infrastructure approvals.

Research whether your electricity provider has disclosed data center contracts and their rate impact.

==Black box AI in high-stakes consumer decisions==
AI systems are deployed in consumer-affecting decisions across credit scoring, insurance pricing, employment screening, medical diagnosis assistance, and criminal justice risk assessment. The majority of these systems use deep learning architectures — specifically large neural networks — in which the relationship between an input and an output cannot be explained in human-readable terms by the system's own design.<ref>Plisio. (2026). What Is Black Box AI? The Black Box Problem in 2026. plisio.net/ai/black-box-ai</ref>

The European Union's AI Act, with high-risk system rules entering enforcement on August 2, 2026, requires that AI systems used in high-stakes decisions be explainable to the individuals affected and to regulators, with fines of up to €35 million or 7% of global turnover for violations.<ref>Raconteur. (2026). Beyond the Black Box: the new 'explainability' rule for enterprise AI. raconteur.net/technology/beyond-the-black-box-the-new-explainability-rule-for-enterprise-ai</ref> The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ruled separately that financial institutions cannot use complex algorithms to justify credit decisions if those algorithms prevent the institution from explaining the basis for a denial to the consumer.<ref>Plisio. (2026). What Is Black Box AI? The Black Box Problem in 2026. plisio.net/ai/black-box-ai</ref>

Despite these regulatory requirements, explainability remains largely unsolved at the scale of current large language models. Independent research published in 2025 in ''Law, Innovation and Technology'' concluded that the exact techniques required to satisfy the EU AI Act's explainability standard have not yet been determined and remain untested in practice.<ref>Goodman, B., & Flaxman, S. (as cited in Tandfonline). (2024). Unlocking the Black Box: Analysing the EU Artificial Intelligence Act's Framework for Explainability in AI. ''Law, Innovation and Technology.'' DOI: 10.1080/17579961.2024.2313795</ref>

An alternative architecture that addresses this problem by design has been documented by Dragolich Research Labs LLC: the QuatOS system stores knowledge in 18-byte entries called discs, each carrying an explicit semantic gate state (Explore, Transfer, Anchor, or Complete) alongside phi coordinates, allowing the system's decision routing to be traced to specific stored knowledge entries rather than to opaque floating-point weights.<ref>Dragolich Research Labs LLC. (2026). ''QuatOS Complete Technical Documentation, Volumes I–VIII.'' U.S. Copyright Form TX, filed January 15, 2026. Zenodo. zenodo.org/communities/pi_origin_architecture</ref> This architecture has not undergone formal peer review and is presented here as documented evidence that alternative transparent architectures are feasible, not as an established industry standard.

===What consumers can do===
Request a written explanation of any AI-based credit, insurance, or employment decision. Under the EU AI Act and U.S. CFPB guidance, you may be legally entitled to one.

File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if a U.S. financial institution cites an AI-based model to deny credit without explanation.

File a complaint with your national data protection authority if an EU-based AI system makes a significant decision affecting you without providing an explanation.

==AI infrastructure narrative and market concentration==
A single AI query on an advanced large language model required an estimated 2.9 watt-hours of electricity in 2024 — nearly 10 times the 0.3 watt-hours required for a conventional internet search.<ref>Brookings Institution. (2026). Global energy demands within the AI regulatory landscape. brookings.edu/articles/global-energy-demands-within-the-ai-regulatory-landscape</ref> The industry widely presents this infrastructure scale as a technical necessity inherent to the nature of AI.

A running system documented by Dragolich Research Labs LLC in 2026 — the QuatOS system — demonstrates that at least one class of continuously-learning AI architecture operates on a commodity laptop CPU drawing approximately 45 watts, with its core model occupying 1.3 megabytes of the processor's L2 cache and achieving 99.91% convergence on its learning target without cloud infrastructure, GPU hardware, or gradient descent training.<ref>Dragolich Research Labs LLC. (2026). ''QuatOS Complete Technical Documentation, Volumes I–VIII.'' Zenodo. zenodo.org/communities/pi_origin_architecture</ref> The system uses a quaternary number system and phi-convergence mathematics rather than floating-point weights and backpropagation. Its 29 C source files are publicly auditable.

This comparison does not establish that QuatOS performs the same functions as large-scale commercial AI. It establishes that the premise — that all AI necessarily requires large-scale GPU infrastructure — is not architecturally universal. The extent to which infrastructure requirements reflect technical necessity versus industry concentration decisions is a question consumers and regulators are entitled to examine.

==Data security and cloud dependency==
IBM Security's 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report found that the average cost of a data breach reached $4.9 million, with an average of 207 days elapsing before breach detection.<ref>IBM Security. (2024). ''Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024.'' ibm.com/security</ref> Virtually all major commercial AI systems process consumer data in cloud environments, meaning user queries, documents, and personal information leave the user's hardware and transit to third-party data centers.

Locally-running AI architectures that do not transmit data externally — such as those documented by Dragolich Research Labs LLC — eliminate cloud-based breach exposure as an architectural property. No industry standard currently requires AI product disclosures to specify whether user data is processed locally or transmitted to cloud infrastructure.

===What consumers can do===
Review the privacy policy of any AI service before submitting sensitive personal, financial, or medical information.

Prefer AI services that explicitly document on-device or local processing for sensitive tasks.

Request that your employer's AI vendor disclose whether employee data is processed locally or transmitted to cloud infrastructure.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://zenodo.org/communities/pi_origin_architecture Dragolich Research Labs LLC research archive (Zenodo)]

*[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07566-y Shumailov et al. — AI models collapse when trained on recursively generated data (Nature, 2024)]

*[https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai/energy-demand-from-ai International Energy Agency — Energy and AI (2025)]

*[https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-ai-data-centers-electricity-prices/ Bloomberg — How AI Data Centers Are Sending Your Power Bill Soaring]

*[https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/ MIT Technology Review — AI energy footprint analysis]

*[https://raconteur.net/technology/beyond-the-black-box-the-new-explainability-rule-for-enterprise-ai Raconteur — EU AI Act explained]

{{Ph-I-C}}

Talk:AI degradation

2026-05-30T04:43:21Z

Rudxain: /* Relevance discussion */ Reply

BambuLab

2026-05-30T04:21:28Z

Rudxain: Rudxain moved page Bambulab to BambuLab: Misspelled title

#REDIRECT [[Bambu Lab]]

BambuLab

2026-05-30T04:18:04Z

Rudxain: Redirected to Bambu Lab via Special:SearchDigest

#REDIRECT [[Bambu Lab]]

2026-05-30T04:10:42Z

Rudxain: Zulip mention!

{{ToneWarning}}
{{CompanyCargo
|Description=American instant messaging app used globally.
|Founded=2009
|Industry=Social Media, Messaging
|Logo=WhatsApp Logo green.svg
|ParentCompany=Meta
|Type=Subsidiary
|Website=https://www.whatsapp.com/
}}
'''{{Wplink|WhatsApp}}''' (officially '''WhatsApp Messenger''') is an American instant messaging (IM) and {{Wplink|Voice over IP|voice-over-IP}} (VoIP) service owned by technology conglomerate [[Meta]].

==Consumer impact summary==
'''User privacy:''' Collects and shares metadata, while competing apps intentionally collect less to avoid incursions on their users' privacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Elkind |first1=Peter |last2=Gillum |first2=Jack |last3=Silverman |first3=Craig |title=How Facebook Undermines Privacy Protections for Its 2 Billion WhatsApp Users |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/how-facebook-undermines-privacy-protections-for-its-2-billion-whatsapp-users |website=ProPublica |date=7 Sep 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907090516/https://www.propublica.org/article/how-facebook-undermines-privacy-protections-for-its-2-billion-whatsapp-users |archive-date=7 Sep 2021}}</ref>

'''Market control:''' The combination of [[Facebook]], WhatsApp, and [[Instagram]], all owned by Meta, serves billions of active users.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dixon |first=Stacy Jo |title=Most popular social networks worldwide as of April 2024, by number of monthly active users |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/ |website=Statista |date=10 Jul 2024 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220152126/https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/ |archive-date=20 Feb 2026|quote=''[...] Meta Platforms owns four of the biggest social media platforms, all with more than one billion monthly active users each: Facebook (core platform), WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram.''}}</ref>

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Data lock-in===
[[File:WhatsApp suspended account hostage screen.png|thumb|upright|WhatsApp suspended account hostage screen.]]
There are several instances of [[data lock-in]] in WhatsApp. For example, if WhatsApp staff suspend an account, the user is unable to access any messages stored on their device unless they successfully appeal the suspension. This means WhatsApp staff have greater access to some of the data stored on WhatsApp users' devices than the device owners themselves do. Such practices function similarly to {{Wplink|ransomware}}, a type of malware that prevents a user from accessing some or all of their data on a device until a ransom is paid.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gopal |first=Prarthana |title=How to fix the WhatsApp 'This account is not allowed to use WhatsApp' error |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/whatsapp-this-account-is-not-allowed-to-use-whatsapp-error-fix/ |website=Android Police |date=11 May 2024 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251212201036/https://www.androidpolice.com/whatsapp-this-account-is-not-allowed-to-use-whatsapp-error-fix/ |archive-date=12 Dec 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhatacharjee |first=Sayani |title=How to Unban From WhatsApp Quickly and Regain Access (2024) |url=https://retainiq.io/blog/how-to-unban-from-whatsapp-quickly/ |website=RetainIQ |date=16 Sep 2024 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007151808/https://retainiq.io/blog/how-to-unban-from-whatsapp-quickly/ |archive-date=7 Oct 2024}}</ref>

Users are also unable to access their messaging history if they do not run a recent version. This means users cannot read existing messages until the update is complete. There are situations where users may not be able to update. These include being at a remote location with limited Internet access, exhausting one's mobile data plan, and using an older device for which updating is no longer possible because the latest version of WhatsApp no longer supports the device's operating system.

If a WhatsApp user has not used the service for 4 months, they must repeat the registration process before accessing their message history.<ref>{{Cite web |author=
|title=Seeing “You have been logged out” |url=https://faq.whatsapp.com/120604060995491 |website=WhatsApp |date= |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222233358/https://faq.whatsapp.com/120604060995491 |archive-date=22 Feb 2026}}</ref> In addition, changing one's phone number means losing access to all existing messages that were not backed up in advance.

WhatsApp also lets users back up their messages to their [[Google]] account, but they are stored in a format that can only be accessed within WhatsApp, not externally.<ref name="TechCrunch-20220809">{{Cite web |last=Hatmaker |first=Taylor |title=WhatsApp is adding new privacy options, including screenshot blocking and a stealth mode |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/09/whatsapp-privacy-presence-control-screenshot-blocking/ |website=TechCrunch |date=9 Aug 2022 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250723202253/https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/09/whatsapp-privacy-presence-control-screenshot-blocking/ |archive-date=23 Jul 2025}}</ref>

WhatsApp provides a chat export feature that lets you save the entire chat history as a text file, optionally including media attachments, into a ZIP file. However, there is no way to export all messages at once. It has to be done for every contact and every group individually. Additionally, starting with an April 2025 update, the other participant can remotely disable exporting via the "Advanced Chat Privacy" feature.

There are legitimate reasons for exporting chats, such as creating backups in a human-readable and non-proprietary format, preempting erroneous account terminations<ref>{{Cite web |last=Voit
|first=Karl |title=You Can't Control Your Data in the Cloud |url=https://karl-voit.at/cloud/ |website=public voit |date=12 Nov 2016 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260202071758/https://karl-voit.at/cloud/ |archive-date=2 Feb 2026}}</ref>, searching with external tools, and preserving good memories with people, including those of deceased individuals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sheeran |first=Ed |title=Ed Sheeran - Old Phone (Official Music Video) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj5dxoMY-dE |website=[[YouTube]] |date=8 May 2025 |access-date=17 Feb 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=rj5dxoMY-dE |archive-date=5 Sep 2025}}</ref>

The developers of WhatsApp have threatened to block [[screenshot blocking|screenshots]] inside chats with "advanced chat privacy" enabled:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baran |first=Guru |title=WhatsApp’s New Advanced Chat Privacy Feature to Protect Sensitive Conversations |url=https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-advanced-chat-privacy-feature/ |website=Cyber Security News |date=24 Apr 2025 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250528151304/https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-advanced-chat-privacy-feature/ |archive-date=28 May 2025}}</ref>
<blockquote>The company has stated that this is the first iteration of the feature, with plans to introduce even more robust protections in future updates, potentially including measures to block screenshots.
</blockquote>

===Mandatory updates===
WhatsApp requires users to use updated versions of the app by first giving them an in-app warning if they have not updated for a while. If the user still chooses not to update, the app's usage will be disabled entirely.{{Citation needed|reason=How long before this happens? Any screenshots?}} This can pose problems in certain cases, such as being in an area with poor or limited internet connectivity or using an older device that is no longer supported.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coyle |first=Dylan R. |title=WhatsApp drops support for Android KitKat |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/whatsapp-support-android-kitkat/ |website=Android Police |date=24 Oct 2023 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025193121/https://www.androidpolice.com/whatsapp-support-android-kitkat/ |archive-date=25 Oct 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Ro |title=WhatsApp to drop support for older Android devices on January 1, 2025 |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_to_drop_support_for_older_android_devices_on_january_1_2025-news-65834.php |website=GSMArena |date=22 Dec 2024 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260217143250/https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_to_drop_support_for_older_android_devices_on_january_1_2025-news-65834.php |archive-date=17 Feb 2026}}</ref> 

===Message deletion and editing (''2017—'')===
Since late 2017, WhatsApp has allowed message senders to delete messages for a limited duration after sending.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Himanshu |title=WhatsApp gets ability to delete messages |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_gets_ability_to_delete_messages-news-27955.php |website=GMSArena |date=27 Oct 2017 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318124926/https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_gets_ability_to_delete_messages-news-27955.php |archive-date=18 Mar 2018}}</ref> This time limit was extended to slightly over an hour in 2018<ref>{{Cite web |author=Ricky |title=WhatsApp time limit for deleting messages increases to over an hour |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_time_limit_for_deleting_messages_increases_to_over_an_hour-news-30053.php |website=GSMArena |date=12 Mar 2018 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313043109/https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_time_limit_for_deleting_messages_increases_to_over_an_hour-news-30053.php |archive-date=13 Mar 2018}}</ref> and two and a half days in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mehta |first=Ivan |title=WhatsApp extends time limit to delete a message to 60 hours |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/09/whatsapp-extends-time-limit-to-delete-a-message-to-60-hours/ |website=TechCrunch |date=9 Aug 2022 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240225131536/https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/09/whatsapp-extends-time-limit-to-delete-a-message-to-60-hours/ |archive-date=25 Feb 2024}}</ref> While there is a message noting that "This message was deleted," it is not possible to see what it contained.

Additionally, since 2023, WhatsApp has allowed message senders to edit messages for up to 15 minutes after sending. When the sender edits a message, while it is noted that the message has been edited, the recipient can no longer see the original message.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schroeder |first=Stan |title=WhatsApp finally lets you edit messages, but you have to be fast |url=https://mashable.com/article/whatsapp-edit-messages-feature |website=Mashable |date=23 May 2023 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523172541/https://mashable.com/article/whatsapp-edit-messages-feature |archive-date=23 May 2023}}</ref>

In effect, this WhatsApp feature allows the sender to remotely delete or edit existing information on the recipient's device without the recipient's consent.


===Privacy policy update (''2021'')===
{{Main|WhatsApp updates privacy policy and millions of users flee the platform}}

There was widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update regarding data-sharing procedures with Facebook. It outlined how businesses that use WhatsApp for customer service may store chat logs on Facebook servers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |title=WhatsApp clarifies it’s not giving all your data to Facebook after surge in Signal and Telegram users |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226792/whatsapp-privacy-policy-response-signal-telegram-controversy-clarification |website=The Verge |date=12 Jan 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112161057/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226792/whatsapp-privacy-policy-response-signal-telegram-controversy-clarification |archive-date=12 Jan 2021}}</ref> The update sparked a broader concern, prompting millions of users to abandon the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hern |first=Alex |title=WhatsApp loses millions of users after terms update |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/24/whatsapp-loses-millions-of-users-after-terms-update |website=The Guardian |date=24 Jan 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124165416/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/24/whatsapp-loses-millions-of-users-after-terms-update |archive-date=24 Jan 2021}}</ref>

===Disappearing messages (2021-2022)===
WhatsApp also introduced "view-once" messages in 2021 and disabled screen captures of them in 2022. "View-once" messages are deleted after being viewed.<ref name="TechCrunch-20220809" />

===Disabling screen captures of profile pictures (''2024—'')===
In March 2024, WhatsApp began turning off screen captures of profile pictures viewed in full-screen mode to "protect the privacy" of its users. This is made possible because mainstream mobile operating systems, [[Android]] and [[iOS]], allow applications to disable screen capture on devices without the consent of device owners.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=About profile photo screenshot blocking |url=https://faq.whatsapp.com/1799783917198636 |website=WhatsApp |date= |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251109165725/https://faq.whatsapp.com/1799783917198636 |archive-date=9 Nov 2025}}</ref>

Profile pictures are not mandatory to use WhatsApp and are therefore images that a user has voluntarily made accessible on their profile. As such, profile pictures are not private images.

===Introduction of advertising (''2025'')===
In June 2025, Meta announced that it would introduce ads globally on WhatsApp.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scharon|first=Harding |title=Ads are “rolling out gradually” to WhatsApp
|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/ads-are-rolling-out-gradually-to-whatsapp/ |website=Ars Technica |date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=18 Jun 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250616190958/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/ads-are-rolling-out-gradually-to-whatsapp/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2025}}</ref> Previously, Meta (then known as Facebook) stated in 2014, after it acquired the application:
<blockquote>''("[...] And you can still count on absolutely no ads interrupting your communication.")''.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Facebook |url=https://blog.whatsapp.com/facebook |website=WhatsApp |date=19 Feb 2014 |access-date=18 Jun 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250806121407/https://blog.whatsapp.com/facebook |archive-date=6 Aug 2025}}</ref></blockquote>

The personalized ads also utilize data from linked accounts on other Meta platforms.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Helping You Find More Channels and Businesses on WhatsApp |url=https://about.fb.com/news/2025/06/helping-you-find-more-channels-businesses-on-whatsapp/ |website=[[Meta]] |date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260126172044/https://about.fb.com/news/2025/06/helping-you-find-more-channels-businesses-on-whatsapp/ |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref>

==Alternatives==
*[[Signal]] offers most of the same features, the app is open source, relies on Privacy by Design, and is operated by a non-profit.

*[[wikipedia:Matrix_(protocol)|Matrix]] is more private and uses a federated design, but setup is slightly more involved than that of a commercial messenger.

*[[Telegram]] is the most popular alternative and is end-user-friendly, with minimal content moderation. Before a September 2024 policy change, it refused to hand over user data to law enforcement upon request.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jamali |first=Lily |title=Telegram will now provide some user data to authorities |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |website=BBC |date=23 Sep 2024 |access-date=22 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923225048/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |archive-date=23 Sep 2024}}</ref>
*[[wikipedia:Zulip|Zulip]] is what the CRW uses as alt to [[Discord]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Meta]]

2026-05-30T04:05:02Z

Rudxain: prefer wiki-links for alts

{{ToneWarning}}
{{CompanyCargo
|Description=American instant messaging app used globally.
|Founded=2009
|Industry=Social Media, Messaging
|Logo=WhatsApp Logo green.svg
|ParentCompany=Meta
|Type=Subsidiary
|Website=https://www.whatsapp.com/
}}
'''{{Wplink|WhatsApp}}''' (officially '''WhatsApp Messenger''') is an American instant messaging (IM) and {{Wplink|Voice over IP|voice-over-IP}} (VoIP) service owned by technology conglomerate [[Meta]].

==Consumer impact summary==
'''User privacy:''' Collects and shares metadata, while competing apps intentionally collect less to avoid incursions on their users' privacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Elkind |first1=Peter |last2=Gillum |first2=Jack |last3=Silverman |first3=Craig |title=How Facebook Undermines Privacy Protections for Its 2 Billion WhatsApp Users |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/how-facebook-undermines-privacy-protections-for-its-2-billion-whatsapp-users |website=ProPublica |date=7 Sep 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907090516/https://www.propublica.org/article/how-facebook-undermines-privacy-protections-for-its-2-billion-whatsapp-users |archive-date=7 Sep 2021}}</ref>

'''Market control:''' The combination of [[Facebook]], WhatsApp, and [[Instagram]], all owned by Meta, serves billions of active users.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dixon |first=Stacy Jo |title=Most popular social networks worldwide as of April 2024, by number of monthly active users |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/ |website=Statista |date=10 Jul 2024 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260220152126/https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/ |archive-date=20 Feb 2026|quote=''[...] Meta Platforms owns four of the biggest social media platforms, all with more than one billion monthly active users each: Facebook (core platform), WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram.''}}</ref>

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Data lock-in===
[[File:WhatsApp suspended account hostage screen.png|thumb|upright|WhatsApp suspended account hostage screen.]]
There are several instances of [[data lock-in]] in WhatsApp. For example, if WhatsApp staff suspend an account, the user is unable to access any messages stored on their device unless they successfully appeal the suspension. This means WhatsApp staff have greater access to some of the data stored on WhatsApp users' devices than the device owners themselves do. Such practices function similarly to {{Wplink|ransomware}}, a type of malware that prevents a user from accessing some or all of their data on a device until a ransom is paid.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gopal |first=Prarthana |title=How to fix the WhatsApp 'This account is not allowed to use WhatsApp' error |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/whatsapp-this-account-is-not-allowed-to-use-whatsapp-error-fix/ |website=Android Police |date=11 May 2024 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251212201036/https://www.androidpolice.com/whatsapp-this-account-is-not-allowed-to-use-whatsapp-error-fix/ |archive-date=12 Dec 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhatacharjee |first=Sayani |title=How to Unban From WhatsApp Quickly and Regain Access (2024) |url=https://retainiq.io/blog/how-to-unban-from-whatsapp-quickly/ |website=RetainIQ |date=16 Sep 2024 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007151808/https://retainiq.io/blog/how-to-unban-from-whatsapp-quickly/ |archive-date=7 Oct 2024}}</ref>

Users are also unable to access their messaging history if they do not run a recent version. This means users cannot read existing messages until the update is complete. There are situations where users may not be able to update. These include being at a remote location with limited Internet access, exhausting one's mobile data plan, and using an older device for which updating is no longer possible because the latest version of WhatsApp no longer supports the device's operating system.

If a WhatsApp user has not used the service for 4 months, they must repeat the registration process before accessing their message history.<ref>{{Cite web |author=
|title=Seeing “You have been logged out” |url=https://faq.whatsapp.com/120604060995491 |website=WhatsApp |date= |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222233358/https://faq.whatsapp.com/120604060995491 |archive-date=22 Feb 2026}}</ref> In addition, changing one's phone number means losing access to all existing messages that were not backed up in advance.

WhatsApp also lets users back up their messages to their [[Google]] account, but they are stored in a format that can only be accessed within WhatsApp, not externally.<ref name="TechCrunch-20220809">{{Cite web |last=Hatmaker |first=Taylor |title=WhatsApp is adding new privacy options, including screenshot blocking and a stealth mode |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/09/whatsapp-privacy-presence-control-screenshot-blocking/ |website=TechCrunch |date=9 Aug 2022 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250723202253/https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/09/whatsapp-privacy-presence-control-screenshot-blocking/ |archive-date=23 Jul 2025}}</ref>

WhatsApp provides a chat export feature that lets you save the entire chat history as a text file, optionally including media attachments, into a ZIP file. However, there is no way to export all messages at once. It has to be done for every contact and every group individually. Additionally, starting with an April 2025 update, the other participant can remotely disable exporting via the "Advanced Chat Privacy" feature.

There are legitimate reasons for exporting chats, such as creating backups in a human-readable and non-proprietary format, preempting erroneous account terminations<ref>{{Cite web |last=Voit
|first=Karl |title=You Can't Control Your Data in the Cloud |url=https://karl-voit.at/cloud/ |website=public voit |date=12 Nov 2016 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260202071758/https://karl-voit.at/cloud/ |archive-date=2 Feb 2026}}</ref>, searching with external tools, and preserving good memories with people, including those of deceased individuals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sheeran |first=Ed |title=Ed Sheeran - Old Phone (Official Music Video) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj5dxoMY-dE |website=[[YouTube]] |date=8 May 2025 |access-date=17 Feb 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=rj5dxoMY-dE |archive-date=5 Sep 2025}}</ref>

The developers of WhatsApp have threatened to block [[screenshot blocking|screenshots]] inside chats with "advanced chat privacy" enabled:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baran |first=Guru |title=WhatsApp’s New Advanced Chat Privacy Feature to Protect Sensitive Conversations |url=https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-advanced-chat-privacy-feature/ |website=Cyber Security News |date=24 Apr 2025 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250528151304/https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-advanced-chat-privacy-feature/ |archive-date=28 May 2025}}</ref>
<blockquote>The company has stated that this is the first iteration of the feature, with plans to introduce even more robust protections in future updates, potentially including measures to block screenshots.
</blockquote>

===Mandatory updates===
WhatsApp requires users to use updated versions of the app by first giving them an in-app warning if they have not updated for a while. If the user still chooses not to update, the app's usage will be disabled entirely.{{Citation needed|reason=How long before this happens? Any screenshots?}} This can pose problems in certain cases, such as being in an area with poor or limited internet connectivity or using an older device that is no longer supported.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coyle |first=Dylan R. |title=WhatsApp drops support for Android KitKat |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/whatsapp-support-android-kitkat/ |website=Android Police |date=24 Oct 2023 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025193121/https://www.androidpolice.com/whatsapp-support-android-kitkat/ |archive-date=25 Oct 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Ro |title=WhatsApp to drop support for older Android devices on January 1, 2025 |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_to_drop_support_for_older_android_devices_on_january_1_2025-news-65834.php |website=GSMArena |date=22 Dec 2024 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260217143250/https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_to_drop_support_for_older_android_devices_on_january_1_2025-news-65834.php |archive-date=17 Feb 2026}}</ref> 

===Message deletion and editing (''2017—'')===
Since late 2017, WhatsApp has allowed message senders to delete messages for a limited duration after sending.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Himanshu |title=WhatsApp gets ability to delete messages |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_gets_ability_to_delete_messages-news-27955.php |website=GMSArena |date=27 Oct 2017 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318124926/https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_gets_ability_to_delete_messages-news-27955.php |archive-date=18 Mar 2018}}</ref> This time limit was extended to slightly over an hour in 2018<ref>{{Cite web |author=Ricky |title=WhatsApp time limit for deleting messages increases to over an hour |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_time_limit_for_deleting_messages_increases_to_over_an_hour-news-30053.php |website=GSMArena |date=12 Mar 2018 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313043109/https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_time_limit_for_deleting_messages_increases_to_over_an_hour-news-30053.php |archive-date=13 Mar 2018}}</ref> and two and a half days in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mehta |first=Ivan |title=WhatsApp extends time limit to delete a message to 60 hours |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/09/whatsapp-extends-time-limit-to-delete-a-message-to-60-hours/ |website=TechCrunch |date=9 Aug 2022 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240225131536/https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/09/whatsapp-extends-time-limit-to-delete-a-message-to-60-hours/ |archive-date=25 Feb 2024}}</ref> While there is a message noting that "This message was deleted," it is not possible to see what it contained.

Additionally, since 2023, WhatsApp has allowed message senders to edit messages for up to 15 minutes after sending. When the sender edits a message, while it is noted that the message has been edited, the recipient can no longer see the original message.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schroeder |first=Stan |title=WhatsApp finally lets you edit messages, but you have to be fast |url=https://mashable.com/article/whatsapp-edit-messages-feature |website=Mashable |date=23 May 2023 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523172541/https://mashable.com/article/whatsapp-edit-messages-feature |archive-date=23 May 2023}}</ref>

In effect, this WhatsApp feature allows the sender to remotely delete or edit existing information on the recipient's device without the recipient's consent.


===Privacy policy update (''2021'')===
{{Main|WhatsApp updates privacy policy and millions of users flee the platform}}

There was widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update regarding data-sharing procedures with Facebook. It outlined how businesses that use WhatsApp for customer service may store chat logs on Facebook servers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |title=WhatsApp clarifies it’s not giving all your data to Facebook after surge in Signal and Telegram users |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226792/whatsapp-privacy-policy-response-signal-telegram-controversy-clarification |website=The Verge |date=12 Jan 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112161057/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226792/whatsapp-privacy-policy-response-signal-telegram-controversy-clarification |archive-date=12 Jan 2021}}</ref> The update sparked a broader concern, prompting millions of users to abandon the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hern |first=Alex |title=WhatsApp loses millions of users after terms update |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/24/whatsapp-loses-millions-of-users-after-terms-update |website=The Guardian |date=24 Jan 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124165416/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/24/whatsapp-loses-millions-of-users-after-terms-update |archive-date=24 Jan 2021}}</ref>

===Disappearing messages (2021-2022)===
WhatsApp also introduced "view-once" messages in 2021 and disabled screen captures of them in 2022. "View-once" messages are deleted after being viewed.<ref name="TechCrunch-20220809" />

===Disabling screen captures of profile pictures (''2024—'')===
In March 2024, WhatsApp began turning off screen captures of profile pictures viewed in full-screen mode to "protect the privacy" of its users. This is made possible because mainstream mobile operating systems, [[Android]] and [[iOS]], allow applications to disable screen capture on devices without the consent of device owners.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=About profile photo screenshot blocking |url=https://faq.whatsapp.com/1799783917198636 |website=WhatsApp |date= |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251109165725/https://faq.whatsapp.com/1799783917198636 |archive-date=9 Nov 2025}}</ref>

Profile pictures are not mandatory to use WhatsApp and are therefore images that a user has voluntarily made accessible on their profile. As such, profile pictures are not private images.

===Introduction of advertising (''2025'')===
In June 2025, Meta announced that it would introduce ads globally on WhatsApp.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scharon|first=Harding |title=Ads are “rolling out gradually” to WhatsApp
|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/ads-are-rolling-out-gradually-to-whatsapp/ |website=Ars Technica |date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=18 Jun 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250616190958/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/ads-are-rolling-out-gradually-to-whatsapp/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2025}}</ref> Previously, Meta (then known as Facebook) stated in 2014, after it acquired the application:
<blockquote>''("[...] And you can still count on absolutely no ads interrupting your communication.")''.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Facebook |url=https://blog.whatsapp.com/facebook |website=WhatsApp |date=19 Feb 2014 |access-date=18 Jun 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250806121407/https://blog.whatsapp.com/facebook |archive-date=6 Aug 2025}}</ref></blockquote>

The personalized ads also utilize data from linked accounts on other Meta platforms.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Helping You Find More Channels and Businesses on WhatsApp |url=https://about.fb.com/news/2025/06/helping-you-find-more-channels-businesses-on-whatsapp/ |website=[[Meta]] |date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=17 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260126172044/https://about.fb.com/news/2025/06/helping-you-find-more-channels-businesses-on-whatsapp/ |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref>

==Alternatives==
*[[Signal]] offers most of the same features, the app is open source, relies on Privacy by Design, and is operated by a non-profit.

*[[wikipedia:Matrix_(protocol)|Matrix]] is more private and uses a federated design, but setup is slightly more involved than that of a commercial messenger.

*[[Telegram]] is the most popular alternative and is end-user-friendly, with minimal content moderation. Before a September 2024 policy change, it refused to hand over user data to law enforcement upon request.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jamali |first=Lily |title=Telegram will now provide some user data to authorities |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |website=BBC |date=23 Sep 2024 |access-date=22 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923225048/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |archive-date=23 Sep 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Meta]]

User:Rudxain/Permacomputing

2026-05-29T13:51:12Z

Rudxain: ref for 100R + Forth

'''Permacomputing''' is a concept and [https://permacomputing.net/ movement] which consists of [[wikipedia:Sustainability|sustainable]] information technology (IT) devices and [[wikipedia:Data_preservation|data preservation]]. In short, [[wikipedia:Permaculture|'''permaculture''']] in computing.

Permacomputing is the antithesis of [[planned obsolescence]] (and anything related to it) and [[Bloatware|bloat]].

==Motivation==
Here's a quote from [[wikipedia:Hundred_Rabbits#Permacomputing|100R]] (links added by me; typos corrected):<ref>https://100r.co/site/weathering_software_winter.html</ref><blockquote>Many of the tools that we thought we could rely on broke down, whether it is [[Apple]] products, or software that require [[Subscription service|subscription services]], <abbr>[[Digital rights management|DRM]]</abbr>, etc. As an artist you spend time developing a skill, you become a Photoshop illustrator. When your connection to the internet fails and that the software locks up, that skill that you thought was [[Right to own|yours]] was actually entirely owned by someone, and can be taken away.

Even though we've been paying for this sort of software for years, the moment that you can't have access to [[Forced account|authenticate yourself]] that skill is gone. We didn't expect this, it scared us.</blockquote>Here's one from Maxime Chevalier-Boisvert (links added):<ref>https://github.com/maximecb/uvm/blob/778114c4adf9a928a77c3491bb8dd3c1e464fd84/doc/vision.md</ref><blockquote>We live in a world where software is increasingly complex, and increasingly fragile as a result. It's very easy to end up in a situation where software that was working just fine a few months ago can no longer compile and run due to broken dependencies. One of the main goals of UVM is to combat the phenomenon known as [[wikipedia:Software_rot|"code rot" or "bit rot"]].

[...]

There seems to be a growing interest in [[wikipedia:Retrocomputing|retrocomputing]], and that interest likely stems, in large part, because the complexity of modern computer systems and their software environment is extremely high, and there is constant unnecessary churn, which becomes exhausting. At some point, programmers just want to build, and there is a natural desire to declutter and have fun.</blockquote>Jeff Huang:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Huang |first=Jeff |date=2019-12-19 |title=This Page is Designed to Last: A Manifesto for Preserving Content on the Web |url=https://jeffhuang.com/designed_to_last/ |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref><blockquote>Bookmark after bookmark led to dead link after dead link. What's vanished: unique pieces of writing on kuro5hin about tech culture; a collection of mathematical puzzles and their associated discussion by academics that my father introduced me to; Woodman's Reverse Engineering tutorials from my high school years, where I first tasted the feeling of control over software; even my most recent bookmark, a series of posts on Google+ exposing usb-c chargers' non-compliance with the specification, all disappeared.

This is more than just [[wikipedia:Link_rot|link rot]], it's the increasing complexity of keeping alive indie content on the web, leading to a reliance on platforms and time-sorted publication formats (blogs, feeds, tweets).</blockquote>

==Guidelines==
This is not a [[Portal:User Guides|guide]], this is a set of "universal" principles.

===Ease of re-creation===
Simple tools are easy to re-implement from scratch, so choose (and learn) simple tools whenever possible. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have a computer with no software, or you don't even have a computer, you can rely on simple tools and skills to make what you need (or find someone else to do it).

If the tool you need is hard to re-implement ''manually'', ensure it's easy to re-create ''automatically''. For example, ensure the tool is widely-available in a source-code form that can be built by a simple compiler (such as [[wikipedia:Tiny_C_Compiler|TCC]]) or executed by a simple interpreter/CPU (interpreters are just [[wikipedia:Virtual_machine|virtual]] CPUs); this is source-level [[wikipedia:Software_portability|portability]].

This principle is the basis of [[wikipedia:Bootstrapping_(compilers)|bootstrapping]]. Simple (and tedious) tools can be used to make useful (and complex) tools! This goes hand-in-hand with [[wikipedia:Reproducible_builds|reproducible builds]], which [[User:Rudxain/Object transparency movement|improves transparency]].<ref>https://bootstrappable.org/</ref>

Examples of simple programming-languages (typically [[wikipedia:Turing_tarpit|Turing tarpits]]):

*[[wikipedia:Forth_(programming_language)|Forth]].<ref>https://github.com/cesarblum/sectorforth</ref> Recommended by 100R.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Forth? |url=https://collapseos.org/forth.html |access-date=2026-05-29 |website=Collapse OS}}</ref>
*[[wikipedia:Lisp_(programming_language)|Lisp]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tunney |first=Justine |date=2021-10-30 |title=SectorLISP Now Fits in One Sector |url=https://justine.lol/sectorlisp/ |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref>
*[[wikipedia:Lambda_calculus|λ-Calculus]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tunney |first=Justine |date=2022-02-27 |title=Lambda Calculus in 383 Bytes |url=https://justine.lol/lambda/ |access-date=2026-04-26}}</ref> IMO, the most minimal of all. No way to beat it!
*[[wikipedia:Brainfuck|Brainfuck]]

===Ubiquity===
If the tool is hard to recreate, ensure it's mostly [[wikipedia:Omnipresence|omnipresent]]. This is "[[wikipedia:Redundancy_(engineering)|useful redundancy]]", as I call it. This way, you can typically rely on it being available in almost any situation.

Examples:

*[[User:Rudxain/Unix|Unix-like systems]], and their [https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9799919799/idx/utilities.html utilities]
*[[wikipedia:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]], because it's the common subset among [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] systems
*[[wikipedia:C_(programming_language)|C]]. BTW, there's a C-compiler that makes ''extremely''-portable executables.<ref>https://justine.lol/cosmopolitan/</ref>

===Interoperability===
{{Main|wikipedia:Interoperability}}
Ensure the tool-set/tool-chain you use is like an orchestra: there must be some ''harmony''. That is, ensure many tools can communicate with each other using common formats and protocols. Ensure ''those'' formats and protocols follow the same guidelines as the tools (simple, [[wikipedia:Open_standard|open]], ubiquitous, etc...). In short, follow [[wikipedia:Unix_philosophy|the Unix Philosophy]]. Even a tiny set of simple tools can be orders-of-magnitude more useful than a single simple tool.

Examples:

*[[wikipedia:Lua|Lua]]. A simple and powerful lang built for embeddability and [[wikipedia:Extensibility|extensibility]]. It's also '''the''' lang used to make MediaWiki modules.
*[[wikipedia:Zig_(programming_language)|Zig]], which has "reusable software" as part of its slogan. It also has C [[wikipedia:Interoperability|interop]]. However, it's still in an [[wikipedia:API#Public_API_implications|API-unstable]] state, so you'll have to wait before everything is settled.

===Archivability===
(yes, that's a [[wikt:archivability|real word]]) this is more about data/info than computing. When all else fails, at the very least, ensure data can be easily copied and archived. This isn't just for tools, it's about any kind of data: personal memories, historical events, etc...

Universal truths, such as those found in math and physics, can be "extracted" and derived any time. But ''events'' are more unique, so those are in great danger of being forgotten (see also: [[wikipedia:Lost_media|lost media]]). You don't have to become a [[wikipedia:Digital_hoarding|data hoarder]], just focus on important data.

BTW, there's a common misconception that physical media is better than digital media. The main problem is [[wikipedia:Centralized_computing|centralized]] media (typically on the [[Cloud (service)|cloud]]). Physical media is ''still'' digital (unless it's analog, like magnetic tape or vinyl records), it's just outside of a device.

==External links==
*[https://geminiprotocol.net/docs/faq-section-6.gmi#64-what-is-permacomputing Project Gemini FAQ - §6 Gemini-adjacent technologies and cultures § What is permacomputing?]
*[https://begriffs.com/posts/2020-08-31-portable-stable-software.html Tips for stable and portable software]
*[https://github.com/thisisisa/awesome-permacomputing etc...]

==See also==

*[[wikipedia:Appropriate_technology|Appropriate technology]]
*[[Projects:Archive everything|Archive everything]]
*[[Self-hosting]]
*[[wikipedia:KISS_principle|K.I.S.S. principle]]
*[[wikipedia:Minimalism_(computing)|Minimalism in computing]]
*[[wikipedia:Fault_tolerance|Fault tolerance]]
*[[wikipedia:Future-proof|Future-proofing]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

Template:Clippy says/doc

2026-05-28T19:51:21Z

Rudxain: WikiText example

Idea from [https://zulip.consumerrights.wiki/#narrow/channel/12-Feedback-.26-Suggestions/topic//near/18408 here]:
<blockquote>It should look like the actual/original Clippit is saying it inside a notice/info-box. I got the idea while writing [https://consumerrights.wiki/index.php?title=User_talk%3ATempo123&oldid=54876#PERMA-COMPUTE this]</blockquote>

This is kinda similar to <code>[[wikipedia:Cowsay|cowsay]]</code>.

This template can be used to make Clippy say anything you want, ideally something pro-consumer, in a format such as "It looks like you're trying to do X, do you want to do Y?". I see great potential in documentation pages, such as Help pages, where Clippy could be seen giving advice/tips about the wiki.

==Examples==
{{Clippy_says|It seems like you want to use this template. Do you want help with that?}}
You can even use WikiText!
{{Clippy_says|1=I would ''never'' send your data to [[Microsoft]]! (unless you ask me to)}}

==See also==
* [[Clippy Campaign]]

Template:Clippy says

2026-05-28T19:45:49Z

Rudxain: rm image param; might re-add later

<noinclude>
'''NOTICE''': this template is mostly "finished", but its presentation/style might change dramatically in the near future. Be careful!
</noinclude>

<div style="padding: 8px; margin: 8px auto; max-width: 600px; display: flex; align-items: center; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif; color: #000000">

<div style="flex: 0 0 86px; text-align: center; margin-right: 8px;">
[[File:Clippy-new.jpg|86px|alt=Clippit the paper-clip, saying:|link=]]
</div>

<div style="flex: 1; position: relative; background: #eeb; border: 1px solid #333; border-radius: 6px; padding: 10px; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.4;">


<div style="position: absolute; top: 50%; left: -6px; transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(45deg); width: 10px; height: 10px; background: #eeb; border-left: 1px solid #333; border-bottom: 1px solid #333;"></div>

{{{1|It looks like you forgot to type a message!}}}
</div>
</div>
<noinclude>
{{Documentation}}
</noinclude>

Microslop

2026-05-28T19:37:00Z

Rudxain: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Criticism_of_Microsoft&oldid=1355737370#Push_for_artificial_intelligence_features_(Microslop)

#REDIRECT [[Microsoft]]

Talk:Amazon Kindle

2026-05-28T19:29:48Z

Rudxain: /* Naming */ new section

==Adding section on jailbreaking==

Hi, I jailbroke my kindle a while ago, and there is a quite lovely community online that is all about modding kindles.

Is that appropriate to add a section that links to the website that helps you make your kindle operate in a more consumer-friendly way (modify/jailbreak it), and maybe a link to their discord, or is that not allowed? [[User:Pumpkin The Patch|Pumpkin The Patch]] ([[User talk:Pumpkin The Patch|talk]]) 21:10, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

:Not a mod but it might not be a good look if a major entity (government) looks on the wiki, so I wouldn't say so. [[User:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|<i><b>AnotherConsumerRightsPerson</b></i>]] ([[User talk:AnotherConsumerRightsPerson|talk]]) 09:55, 9 October 2025 (UTC)

== Add section: Pre-2012 Kindles dropped ==

On May 20, 2026, Amazon will be cutting off Kindles made before 2012 from their online servers, making it impossible to download, purchase, or borrow books. Additionally, if the device needs to be reset, due to it being impossible to register with Amazon servers, it will be bricked and may never function again. (Note: this might be fixable via jailbreak?) This is likely due to them wanting to completely lock down the Kindle bookstore, making it completely impossible to own what you bought and paid for on the Kindle store. [[Special:Contributions/2600:6C56:9C00:17A6:276C:C5CD:89A2:33C7|2600:6C56:9C00:17A6:276C:C5CD:89A2:33C7]] 18:01, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

== Naming ==

IDK if this is relevant, but [https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-call-it-the-swindle Richard Stallman calls it "Swindle"]. This is similar (in spirit) to people saying "[[User:Rudxain/Microslop|Microslop]]" [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] ([[User talk:Rudxain|talk]]) 19:29, 28 May 2026 (UTC)

Bait-and-switch

2026-05-28T19:23:07Z

Rudxain: See also Enshittification

'''Bait-and-switch''' is the action of advertising goods that are an apparent bargain, with the intention of substituting inferior or more expensive goods.<ref>{{Cite web |title=bait-and-switch |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bait-and-switch |url-status=live |access-date=14 Apr 2025 |website=Cambridge Dictionary |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251017040547/https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bait-and-switch |archive-date=17 Oct 2025}}</ref> The measures against this practice depend greatly upon the consumer laws in each country, but it is usually considered under unfair and deceptive transactions.

==Legality==
In the United States, the [[Federal Trade Commission|Federal Trade Commission]] (FTC) has issued a Notice that it has determined that bait and switch sales practices are unfair or deceptive trade practices, and violate the FTC Act.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Penalty Offenses Concerning Bait & Switch |url=https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/penalty-offenses/bait-switch |url-status=live |access-date=14 Apr 2025 |website=FTC |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260206233839/https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/penalty-offenses/bait-switch |archive-date=6 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SYNOPSIS OF FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION DECISIONS CONCERNING “BAIT AND SWITCH” SALES PRACTICES |url=https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Bait-Switch.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250412220410/https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Bait-Switch.pdf |archive-date=12 Apr 2025 |access-date=14 Apr 2025 |website=FTC}}</ref> And in December 2024, the Commission announced a "Bipartisan Rule Banning Junk Ticket and Hotel Fees", in an effort to end the hidden fees when buying tickets or accomodation:<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 Dec 2024 |title=Federal Trade Commission Announces Bipartisan Rule Banning Junk Ticket and Hotel Fees |url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/12/federal-trade-commission-announces-bipartisan-rule-banning-junk-ticket-hotel-fees |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250409110141/https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/12/federal-trade-commission-announces-bipartisan-rule-banning-junk-ticket-hotel-fees |archive-date=9 Apr 2025 |access-date=14 Apr 2025 |website=FTC}}</ref><blockquote>"The Junk Fees Rule will ensure that pricing information is presented in a timely, transparent, and truthful way to consumers of live-event tickets and short-term lodging, two industries whose pricing practices the Commission has studied in particular. Consumers searching for hotels or vacation rentals or seats at a show or sporting event will no longer be surprised by a pile of “resort,” “convenience,” or “service” fees inflating the advertised price. By requiring up-front disclosure of total price including fees, the rule will make comparison shopping easier, resulting in savings for consumers and leveling the competitive playing field."

FTC, Press Release. December 17, 2024</blockquote>The aim of this rule is to force companies and sellers of these goods to be more transparent.

==Recent cases==

*FTC Sends More Than $1.1 Million in Refunds to Consumers Deceived by Bait-and-Switch Ads for LASIK Vision Correction Procedures.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 Oct 2024 |title=FTC Sends More Than $1.1 Million in Refunds to Consumers Deceived by Bait-and-Switch Ads for LASIK Vision Correction Procedures |url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/10/ftc-sends-more-11-million-refunds-consumers-deceived-bait-switch-ads-lasik-vision-correction |url-status=live |access-date=14 Apr 2025 |website=FTC |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260203064951/https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/10/ftc-sends-more-11-million-refunds-consumers-deceived-bait-switch-ads-lasik-vision-correction |archive-date=3 Feb 2026}}</ref>

==Historical cases==
Android smartphone manufacturers used initial respect to user freedom to gain market share. For example user-replaceable batteries. After they gained enough market share, they switched to non-replaceable batteries.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Louis Rossmann |title=EU votes to mandate removable batteries in smartphones in a landslide; no more glued together junk! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn-R39-dtc0 |url-status=live |access-date=21 Feb 2026 |website=YouTube |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=Yn-R39-dtc0 |archive-date=21 Feb 2026}}</ref>

Android used to be a freedom-respecting operating system. That changed when Google added restrictions over time that the user could not opt out of without extreme measures like bootloader unlocking and root access, including MicroSD writing restrictions in Android 4.4 and USB on-the-go media restrictions in Android 6.0, breaking compatibility for applications created over years in addition to making new applications such as file managers less useful.<ref>[https://source.android.com/docs/core/storage/traditional Traditional storage | Android Open Source Project]</ref> The most severe restriction so far is the planned [[Android Developer Verification]] program, making it impossible to run software by developers not personally identified and approved by Google without taking extreme measures like bootloader unlocking, rooting, and potentially flashing an alternative operating system. It can be safely assumed that Android would never have gained their user base, had these restrictions been in place since the beginning.

Reddit added a paywall to their API in 2023 after it was free of charge for many years. This change rendered third-party clients like "Apollo" unuseable and made archiving the history of Reddit far more difficult ([[Reddit#API_paywall,_June_2023|more details]]).

==See also==

*[[Post-purchase EULA modification]]
*[[Retroactive policy enforcement]]
*[[Pay-walling]]
*[[Enshittification]]

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Anti-consumer practices]]
[[Category:Common terms]]

JavaScript

2026-05-28T18:58:15Z

Rudxain: ext-links: UK Gov guide for PA

{{Cleanup}}
{{Irrelevant}}
{{ProductCargo
|Company=
|ReleaseYear=1995
|InProduction=Yes
|Category=Software
|Website=https://openjsf.org/,https://tc39.es/ecma262/multipage/
|Description=A high-level programming language that's also the "lingua franca of the web"
|Logo=JavaScript-logo.png}}

'''{{Wplink|JavaScript}}''' (JS), not to be confused with {{Wplink|ECMAScript}} (ES), is a {{Wplink|programming language}} and core technology of {{Wplink|World_Wide_Web|the Web}}, alongside [[wikipedia:HTML|HTML]] and [[wikipedia:CSS|CSS]]. It was created by [[wikipedia:Brendan_Eich|Brendan Eich]] in 1995.<ref>https://exploringjs.com/es5/ch04.html</ref> As of 2025, the overwhelming majority of [[wikipedia:Website|websites]] (98.9%) uses JS for [[wikipedia:Client_(computing)|client]]-side [[wikipedia:Web_page|webpage]] behavior.<ref name="deployedstats">{{cite web |title=Usage Statistics of JavaScript as Client-side Programming Language on Websites |url=https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cp-javascript |access-date=27 Feb 2024 |website=W3Techs}}</ref> It's even used on the [[wikipedia:Server_(computing)|server]]-side (see [[wikipedia:Node.js|Node.js]]).

JS is also known to enhance the [[wikipedia:User_experience|user-experience]] (UX). The [[wikipedia:World_Wide_Web_Consortium|World Wide Web Consortium]] (W3C) provides comprehensive guidelines for such purposes.<ref>https://www.w3.org/wiki/The_principles_of_unobtrusive_JavaScript</ref>

For the entirety of this article (unless stated otherwise) the terms "JavaScript" and "JS" will be defined as "ECMAScript with access to [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API Web APIs]" or "ES+WebAPI" for short.

==Consumer impact summary==

*'''Degraded accessibility''': Dynamic and/or active content is well-known to have poor accessibility for users with visual and/or cognitive impairments. While standards such as [[wikipedia:WAI-ARIA|WAI-ARIA]] were created to mitigate this, it's no silver bullet, especially when developers aren't aware of ARIA.
*'''Degraded compatibility''': While HTML and CSS degrade gracefully, meaning web browsers not supporting a certain feature will simply ignore it and load the rest of the page, JavaScript does not. If any JavaScript feature is not supported by a web browser and not caught using a <code>try</code>...<code>catch</code> block, the rest of the script is not executed, which usually breaks the entire site if it requires JavaScript for basic functions, as "web apps" usually do. This makes accessing a website impossible from legacy systems that do not support recent web browser versions or minimalist web browsers that challenge the [[Google]]-[[Mozilla]] duopoly, rather than being able to use some parts of a website.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://jakearchibald.com/2013/progressive-enhancement-still-important/ |title=Progressive enhancement is still important - JakeArchibald.com |date=2013-07-03 |access-date=2026-04-18 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://digdeeper.club/articles/browsers.xhtml#minimal |title=How to choose a browser for everyday use? § Why "minimalist" browsers suck. |author=Dig Deeper |access-date=2026-04-22 }}</ref>
*'''Lack of transparency''': To optimize network bandwidth, JS code is typically served in [[wikipedia:Minification_(programming)|minified]] form, which makes it harder to understand for humans. This is particularly problematic if the original source is not publicly [[wikipedia:Source-available_software|available]], which is typically the case of [[wikipedia:Proprietary_software|proprietary software]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gross |first=Carson |date=21 Sep 2023 |title=The #ViewSource Affordance |url=https://htmx.org/essays/right-click-view-source/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260228105626/https://htmx.org/essays/right-click-view-source/ |archive-date=28 Feb 2026 |access-date=24 Mar 2026 |website=</> htmx ~ Essays}}</ref>
*'''Excessive tracking''': JS is much more capable than HTML and [[CSS]] '''combined''' to track user behavior.<ref>https://clickclickclick.click/</ref> JS can communicate with almost any server (only limited by [[wikipedia:Cross-origin_resource_sharing|CORS]]) at any time (limited by connection availability), using a plethora of protocols. JS can get hardware information and compute a [[Device fingerprint|fingerprint of the device]], user, or both.<ref>https://privacycheck.sec.lrz.de/</ref><ref>https://abrahamjuliot.github.io/creepjs</ref><ref>https://www.deviceinfo.me/</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Learn how identifiable you are on the Internet |url=https://www.amiunique.org/ |url-status=live |access-date=19 Mar 2026 |website=Am I Unique ?}}</ref>
*'''Market control''': JS is built into almost every web-browser and [[wikipedia:User_agent|user-agent]] (UA), including "light-weight" ones (such as [[wikipedia:W3m|w3m]]), incentivizing companies to use it for everything, since "there's no need to worry about compatibility or portability".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Everyone has JavaScript, right? |url=https://www.kryogenix.org/code/browser/everyonehasjs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260316024516/https://www.kryogenix.org/code/browser/everyonehasjs.html |archive-date=16 Mar 2026 |access-date=19 Mar 2026 |website=Kryogenix Consulting}}</ref>
*'''Security risks''': It is well-known that JS is poorly-designed,<ref>https://github.com/denysdovhan/wtfjs</ref><ref>https://github.com/brianleroux/wtfjs</ref><ref>https://github.com/Rudxain/ideas/blob/aa9a80252a4b7c9c51f32eda5c716e96220ed96e/software/evar/with_bf.js</ref> even [[wikipedia:Ecma_International|tc39]] acknowledges that{{Citation needed}}. This leads to programmers and even experienced software-devs to accidentally add vulnerabilities to their code. That, and the fact that ES is [[wikipedia:Turing_completeness|Turing-complete]] (both [https://gavinhoward.com/2024/03/what-computers-cannot-do-the-consequences-of-turing-completeness/#mathematical-vs-practical in practice and in theory]), makes [[wikipedia:Debugging|debugging]] and [[wikipedia:Reverse_engineering|reverse-engineering]] impractical in big code-bases. It's worth noting that tooling, such as [[wikipedia:TypeScript|TypeScript]] and [[wikipedia:ESLint|ESLint]], exist to substantially minimize the likelihood of [[wikipedia:Software_bug|bugs]].
*'''Degraded performance (web apps)''': "Web apps" load slower than traditional web sites because lots of code has to be processed by the web browser before any content can appear on screen, putting the content at the end of the rendering path.<ref>{{cite web |title=Critical rendering path – Mozilla Developer Network |url=https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Performance/Guides/Critical_rendering_path |access-date=2026-04-18 }}</ref>

==How it works==
Whenever a user visits a webpage, an average web-browser will execute the JS code it finds in <code><script></code> [[wikipedia:HTML_element|tags]]. This code could do anything from updating part of the [[wikipedia:Document_Object_Model|DOM]]-tree only when the user requests it, to showing a [[wikipedia:Pop-up_ad|popup/popunder]].

When JS tries to access a "privacy-sensitive" API (such as the microphone) the browser pauses it until the user has granted access for the first time. This is typically done on a per-domain basis. However, as mentioned earlier, many other APIs don't need to ask permission before fetching data.

It's worth noting that JS has a privileged position, relative to [[wikipedia:WebAssembly|Wasm]], because of its first-class access to Web APIs.

==Why it is a problem==

===Tracking===
Many webpages (and even entire websites), force the user to keep JS enabled, otherwise they break or deliberately refuse to work. CSS stylesheets combined with HTML should be fine with most basic websites/webpages that do not need complex client-side interaction or low-latency server communication.

The data collected by malicious JS makes it trivial to serve [[personalized ads]], even across unrelated sites. Some sites collect so much data that they are indistinguishable from [[spyware]] (see also [[wikipedia:Keystroke_logging|key-logging]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Kashmir |date=20 Jun 2017 |title=Before You Hit ‘Submit,’ This Company Has Already Logged Your Personal Data |url=https://gizmodo.com/before-you-hit-submit-this-company-has-already-logge-1795906081 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260220091637/https://gizmodo.com/before-you-hit-submit-this-company-has-already-logge-1795906081 |archive-date=20 Feb 2026 |access-date=19 Mar 2026 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref>

===Security===
Browser-engine developers (such as Google and Mozilla) not only feel compelled, but are financially incentivized to optimize JS to its limits. This leads to complex code-bases that are harder to verify for correctness. Browser vendors mitigate this via [[wikipedia:Sandbox_(computer_security)|sandboxing]]. Unfortunately, since modern browsers compile JS to native CPU code (see [[wikipedia:Just-in-time_compilation|JIT]]) to improve performance, this introduces a higher risk of sandbox-escape.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Norman |first=Johnathan |date=4 Aug 2021 |title=Super Duper Secure Mode |url=https://microsoftedge.github.io/edgevr/posts/Super-Duper-Secure-Mode/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260218110912/https://microsoftedge.github.io/edgevr/posts/Super-Duper-Secure-Mode |archive-date=18 Feb 2026 |access-date=19 Mar 2026 |website=Microsoft Browser Vulnerability Research}}</ref> Some examples of this are as follows:

*[[wikipedia:Cross-site_scripting|XSS]], which [[wikipedia:NoScript|NoScript]] tries to mitigate
*[[wikipedia:Arbitrary_code_execution|Arbitrary code execution]] and [[wikipedia:Code_injection|code injection]]. Typically caused by <code>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/eval eval]</code> (part of ES), but there are Web APIs (such as <code>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Window/setTimeout setTimeout]</code> and <code>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Window/setInterval setInterval]</code>) that can be misused as well.
*Remote code execution. This is used by hackers and crackers to build [[wikipedia:Botnet|bot-nets]] for [[wikipedia:Ddos#Distributed_DoS|DDoS]] or [[wikipedia:Cryptocurrency|crypto]]-mining, but it's mostly used for spyware since it can hide more easily.

===Performance===
{{See also|Bloatware}}
If the DOM-tree is dynamically generated by JS (such as [[wikipedia:Web_framework|frameworks]]), the user must wait longer before the browser can display content. This is because HTML+CSS can be parsed and rendered incrementally (immediately as the bytes arrive to the client), while JS must (typically) be completely parsed and then executed.

If the JS fails to load for any reason, the user is left with no content.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Luu |first=Dan |title=How web bloat impacts users with slow connections |url=https://danluu.com/web-bloat/ |access-date=13 Apr 2026}}</ref> If the page relies on JS to display content from the main document, the browser will waste bandwidth and time downloading data that won't be shown to the user; this is the case of sites with "splash screens" or "spinners" that use CSS to hide content until it's "ready to be seen" and then un-hidden by JS.<ref>https://github.com/Rudxain/uBO-rules/blob/b1086023e7db98dee55d425edc20722e641dd4b8/rx.abp#L71-L75</ref>

===Scraping===
{{Main|Artificial intelligence/training}}
Since the rise of big LLM's many brokers have started offering scraping services for companies that want more training data for their AI. And to that end, a lot of [[wikipedia:Headless_browser|headless browser]] agents have begun to scrape (collect a sites information provided) even with the site's <code>robots.txt</code> provided as a common standard to tell agents not to do so. This has lead to many forums and websites that had not used JS before to start implementing CAPTCHAS, to prevent increased overhead and bandwidth costs.

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents related to this technology. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Google Search requires JS (2025)===
In January 2025, Google's web-search engine mandates that user-agents must have JS enabled. Google's justification was that it's a defense mechanism against abusive bots (see also [[Deceptive language frequently used against consumers]]).<ref>https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/17/google-begins-requiring-javascript-for-google-search/</ref><ref>https://daringfireball.net/linked/2025/01/18/google-search-javascript</ref><ref>https://serpapi.com/blog/google-now-requires-javascript/</ref> However, some people claim that it's an invalid justification.<ref>https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/2025/javascript-required/</ref>

==Proposals and alternatives==

*'''Extension''': turning JS into an [[wikipedia:Browser_extension|extension]] or [[wikipedia:Plug-in_(computing)|plug-in]], so that users can choose to install it, is a way to discourage abuse and incentivize static/passive pages. To do this, JS must be deprecated as a Web Standard, but not deprecated as language or API.
*'''Deprecation''': John Gruber says that JS should never have been added to browsers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gruber |first=John |date=22 Jun 2017 |title=Gizmodo Investigation Exposes Websites Collecting Form Data Before You Hit 'Submit' |url=https://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/06/22/navistone-form-data |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260319180650/https://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/06/22/navistone-form-data |archive-date=19 Mar 2026 |access-date=20 Mar 2026 |website=Daring Fireball}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gruber |first=John |date=27 Jun 2017 |title=Using Today's Web Without JavaScript |url=https://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/06/27/web-without-javascript |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260319180612/https://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/06/27/web-without-javascript |archive-date=19 Mar 2026 |access-date=20 Mar 2026 |website=Daring Fireball}}</ref> The [[wikipedia:Gopher_(protocol)|Gopher]] and [[wikipedia:Gemini_(protocol)|Gemini]] projects advocate for a simpler web.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project Gemini |url=https://geminiprotocol.net/ |access-date=13 Apr 2026}}</ref> If JS were to be completely removed from the web, this would allow users to navigate without worrying about invisible tracking.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Sep 2023 |title=Project Gemini FAQ § Why not just use a subset of HTTP and HTML? |url=https://geminiprotocol.net/docs/faq-section-7.gmi#79-why-not-just-use-a-subset-of-http-and-html |access-date=13 Apr 2026}}</ref> Even if not all JS was removed, this would allow tools like [[wikipedia:UBlock_Origin|uBO]] to adapt their filters for non-JS users.<ref>https://github.com/Rudxain/blog/blob/a326c9db28c9f7eb6e30e6a737ca4aeae0d2ee39/post/js-abuse.md#to-do</ref>
*'''Feature-freeze''': There has been discussion about feature-freezing JS so that it becomes "JS0" (for lack of better name).<ref>https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ylROTu3N6MyHzNzWJXQAc7Bo1O0FHO3lNKfQMfPOA4o/</ref> The main purpose is to make it easier for browser implementers to keep browsers secure and stable.

==External links==

*[https://libredirect.github.io/faq.html LibRedirect explaining why it exists], and how [[Google Chrome]]'s MV3 limits it
*Google being anti-competitive towards [[Firefox]]: https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uBlock-issues/discussions/3240
*[https://github.com/iam-py-test/my_filters_001/blob/fc5f61eff0b0d821cb426bea76b18937072bc390/no-js-warnings.txt Websites that nag users to enable JS, even when it provides negligible value]
*Discord being extremely bloated to the point of crashing when opening Developer-tools: https://github.com/Rudxain/uBO-rules/blob/42220bd4f80052ee15136dff7269df19529c43ec/rx.ubo#L3-L19. This is not the fault of bloated JS, it's likely a bloated DOM-tree, but discord only bloats the DOM when JS is enabled.
*[https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/enough-withthejavascriptalready/23262138 "Enough with the JavaScript already!"]
*[https://eev.ee/blog/2016/03/06/maybe-we-could-tone-down-the-javascript "Maybe we could tone down the JavaScript"]
*[https://www.kryogenix.org/code/dont-need-that-js "You really don't need all that JavaScript, I promise"]
*https://gomakethings.com/why-progressive-enhancement-still-matters/
*https://www.viget.com/articles/the-case-against-progressive-enhancements-flimsy-moral-foundation
*[https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/technology/using-progressive-enhancement Building a robust frontend using progressive enhancement]. A guide for UK government websites to ensure information is accessible in a wide range of situations, devices, and browsers.
*[https://youtu.be/xE9W9Ghe4Jk "Shipping a button in 2026…"], by Kai Lentit. This illustrates the burnout and fatigue software developers can experience on a daily basis
*[https://grugbrain.dev/#grug-on-front-end-development HTMX developer advocating for less JS]
*[https://idlewords.com/talks/website_obesity.htm "Web Obesity Crisis"]
*[https://tonsky.me/blog/js-bloat JS bloat (2024)]
*[https://tonsky.me/blog/disenchantment How JS makes web apps more unstable]
*[https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap.html GNU/FSF explaining why JS takes freedom away]
*[https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/wwworst-app-store.html GNU/FSF explaining why "web apps" shouldn't exist]. '''WARNING''': contains overzealous claims! ([https://github.com/Rudxain/blog/blob/main/post/re_twwwas.md according to Rudxain]). Related: [[wikipedia:Local-first_software|Local-first]]
*[https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2018/05/using-the-web-with-javascript-turned-off/ "I Used The Web For A Day With JavaScript Turned Off"]
*[https://tobyho.com/2010/03/11/how-much-of-the-web-actually/ "How Much of the Web Actually Work Without Javascript"]
*[https://github.com/Rudxain/blog/blob/main/post/js-abuse.md Blog-post with more sources]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Security

2026-05-28T16:42:22Z

Rudxain: link Forced cloud

'''Security''' is an engineering principle whereby the risk of an unauthorized malicious agent gaining control of a product, its information, or its environment is minimized. Security of programs and physical products is critical to consumer protection.

==Security vulnerabilities==
A security vulnerability is any function of a product that allows an unauthorized agent is able to gain some level of control over the product, its information, or the product's environment. Vulnerability severity can range depending on how much access an unauthorized agent is granted. To further understand vulnerabilities it is useful to list some real examples:

#The apache log4j exploit<ref>[https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/log4j "What is the Log4j vulnerability?"] - ibm.com - accessed 1/22/2025 ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260113232610/https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/log4j Archived])</ref> where a malicious user could remotely execute code (known as an RCE Attack) by feeding the logger malicious data which causes it to download and execute malicious code. This vulnerability could compromise the security of nearly any system running applications with older versions of log4j. The impact of the log4j exploit could have been massive due to its status as a Java library, meaning that many programs use it solely for the purpose of logging information causing log4j to have massive reach.
#The NoFly.csv leak where the majority if not the entirety of the US No Fly list was exposed on an unsecured server.<ref>[https://www.dailydot.com/debug/no-fly-list-us-tsa-unprotected-server-commuteair/ "EXCLUSIVE: U.S. airline accidentally exposes ‘No Fly List’ on unsecured server"] - dailydot.com - accessed 1/22/2025 ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250602100136/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/no-fly-list-us-tsa-unprotected-server-commuteair/ Archived])</ref> Similar data leaks have and can occur containing more sensitive user information: emails, passwords, real names, social security numbers (SSN), etc.

Security vulnerabilities primarily show up in software products but they can also exist in real life. Home security often depends upon locks which are themselves physical security implementations that prevent intruders from entering but this does not stop someone from just smashing the window: a physical security vulnerability

==Audit==
{{Main|wikipedia:Information_security_audit}}
Security auditing is a review process by which a system is inspected to ensure it complies with a specification and to check that it satisfies the desired security levels.

==How security relates to consumer rights==
Security is both a blessing and a curse towards control over the things consumers own. Being forced to login to a laptop to use it is a sensible decision, being forced to connect your treadmill to the internet and gain authorization just to run on it (as seen [[Peloton removes Just Run feature|here]]) is not. Companies may use [[Deceptive language frequently used against consumers#"For the safety of the consumer"|security as an excuse]] to reduce consumer control and so it is important to identify these misuses. If a company takes away consumer rights using security as an excuse consider that "the emperor may not have any clothes" and their security is not as strong as they portray it. {{Citation needed|reason=needs verifiability}}

===Poor security principals harm the consumer===
A large number of security incidents are caused because the producer of a product has a general misunderstanding of what security is and how to produce secure products. In addition a misunderstanding of the purpose of security can induce companies to take actions capable of harming consumer rights.

====Security through obscurity====
{{main|Security through obscurity}}

Obscuring, or hiding, a product's information increases the time a person or organization would need to take to fully understand how a product works. While this will delay the discovery of security vulnerabilities{{Citation needed|reason=needs verifiability}} it can never stop them{{Citation needed|reason=Who?}}, in addition obscuring product information prevents maintenance of products by the consumer, violating their [[Right to Repair|right to repair]]. {{Citation needed|reason=needs verifiability}}

====Security through authorization====
{{main|Authorization}}

Authorization is the process of confirming that a user is who they say they are. Authorization processes are extremely important to the functioning of the internet but risk becoming a security vulnerability and threat to consumer rights if used improperly. Authorization features can be used by companies to lock out features when the user's subscription expires, in this case the purpose of authorization is lost because the user need not confirm who they are, just that they have a valid subscription. These sorts of lock-outs are significant in that the product's physical features still work but the company is intentionally preventing the user from accessing them because their internet-based subscription has ended.

Authorization for the sake of company product control harms the consumer's [[right to own]] their purchase and also can introduce new attack vectors for malicious actors. Attack vectors may be introduced within the product itself: malicious actors can't remotely hack a fridge without an internet connection but they might be able to hack a smart fridge that has the user login via the internet. Attack vectors may be introduced on the user's information as the company now needs to store authorization information (password hashes, usernames, emails, god forbid in clear text) and may do so insecurely opening themselves to attack.

===How to avoid losing rights in the name of "security"===
#Avoid using physical and software products that needlessly [[Forced cloud|require connection to the internet]]. Your fridge does not need to be "smart". Choosing to use a smart appliance opens the door for companies to take away your rights as well as open you to security vulnerabilities.
#Avoid using physical products that require a proprietary app to use. While the product itself may not connect directly to the internet, your internet device now serves as a bridge to it. This opens the door for companies to take away your rights via the app. In addition, the app itself may have security vulnerabilities of its own.
#Avoid using physical products that need a subscription to use. For example, a normal treadmill won't brick itself if the company goes out of business, or decides to [[Peloton removes Just Run feature|eliminate a subscription free feature]] in the name of safety or security.
#Avoid using closed-source products if equivalent open-source products exist. Open source products are not necessarily more secure, but they are far less likely to violate a consumer's rights simply because the consumer has the ability to change the product as they wish.

==Further reading==
*[[End-user license agreement]]
*[[Terms of service]]
*[[Right to own]]
*[[Internet of Things]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Common terms]]

YouTube

2026-05-28T16:12:58Z

Rudxain: Incident: removal of community captions

{{ProductLineCargo
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Streaming, Video
|Company=Google
|Description=YouTube is a video-sharing platform founded in 2005.
|InProduction=Yes
|Logo=YouTube.png
|ReleaseYear=2005
|Website=https://youtube.com
}}

'''{{Wplink|YouTube}}''' (YT), founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, is a global video-sharing platform and one of the most visited websites in the world. Acquired by [[Google]] in 2006, YouTube has since become the dominant platform for sharing videos on the internet.

YouTube's business model is built around advertising revenue, with creators earning money through ad views, subscriptions, and other monetization options. The platform hosts a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, news, video logs ("vlogs"), and live streams. YouTube has also begun offering subscription services, such as YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, for ad-free experiences, exclusive content, and live television.

YouTube has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny on multiple fronts. Concerns have been raised about content moderation policies, the platform's role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on user privacy, particularly in relation to data collection practices. Additionally, YouTube has been under fire for its algorithms, which some argue promote harmful or divisive content to maximize engagement.

==Consumer impact summary==
*'''User freedom:''' Questionable and highly contradictory due rampant bots, falsely accusing others of using their intellectual properties or “IP” for short (although it’s usually either others’ IPs, or it’s criticism, parodies, documentation, commentary, or other fair uses), and [[Elsagate]] suggest negligent moderation.
*'''User privacy:''' Poor; Since August 2025, accessing mature content without identification is a gamble. User data is also sold to advertisers and the site is owned by [[Google]].
*'''Business model:''' [[Advertising overload|Excessive advertising]], YouTube Premium, YouTube Premium Lite
*'''Market competition:''' Despite several platforms that follow its niche, such as Odysee, [[PeerTube]], and [[DailyMotion]], they provide no significant competition.

==Incidents==
===Elsagate===
{{Main|Elsagate}}

The first "Elsagate" incident arose sometime during the mid-2010s on YouTube, though it was not discovered and named until 2016. It has since been used as a catch-all term for content that appears child-friendly at first glance but, in actuality, contains suggestive or outright illicit material targeted at minors. This is accomplished by using major intellectual properties for children, such as the Elsa character from the 2013 [[Disney]] film ''{{Wplink|Frozen (2013 film)|Frozen}}'' and [[Minecraft]].

Although the problem is not unique to the YouTube platform, its dominance in the video sphere makes it an attractive target.

===Restricting users that don't share their personal information===
{{Main|YouTube age verification}}

On 30 July 2025, in response to the [[UK Online Safety Act]], YouTube announced a verification update that asks for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, otherwise they could not access content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |website=GameRant |date=30 Jul 2025 |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250730234131/https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |archive-date=30 Jul 2025}}</ref>

YouTube will estimate the age of a user from various sources, including the videos watched, and will ask for previously mentioned personal information when it believes that the user falls below 18.

===Advertising overload on YouTube===
{{Main|Advertising overload}}

Advertisements are YouTube's primary source of revenue.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=How YouTube Works |url=https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/sharing-revenue/ |website=YouTube |date= |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260101140008/https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/creator-economy/ |archive-date=1 Jan 2026}}</ref> This has led to advertisements becoming more pervasive on the platform<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Jordan |date=20 Jan 2024 |title=Why YouTube Has So Many Ads (and Why There Will Probably Be More) |url=https://www.33rdsquare.com/software-app/why-youtube-has-so-many-ads-and-why-there-will-probably-be-more/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/GjC82 |archive-date=24 Feb 2026 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |website=33rd Square}}</ref> such as an increasing number of spaces for static ads, longer ad breaks (which some users have documented being longer than the videos they watch<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siddiqui |first=Aamir |title=Frustrated YouTube viewers seek explanation for hour-long unskippable ads (Updated: Clarification) |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128162022/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dirscherl |first=Hans-Christian |last2=Lee |first2=Joel |title=Hours-long unskippable ads spotted on YouTube. What’s going on? |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |website=PCWorld |date=28 Jan 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250129183554/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |archive-date=29 Jan 2025}}</ref> and most prevalent on YouTube TV<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adegbola |first=Anu
|title=YouTube tests longer CTV ad breaks |url=https://searchengineland.com/youtube-tests-longer-ad-breaks-ctv-445248 |website=Search Engine Land |date=16 Aug 2024 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816143812/https://searchengineland.com/youtube-tests-longer-ad-breaks-ctv-445248 |archive-date=16 Aug 2024}}</ref>), increased ad frequency in videos,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wright |first=Arol |title=YouTube is Adding Even More Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |website=How-To-Geek |date=26 Apr 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426192258/https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |archive-date=26 Apr 2024}}</ref> and poorer quality ads.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=T3rr0r |title=BAD Mobile Game Ads |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |website=YouTube |date=17 Oct 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Knoblauch |first=Max |title=Why are mobile game ads so weird and bad? |url=https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |website=Sherwood News |date=14 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614151756/https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |archive-date=14 Jun 2024}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |author=Saberspark |title=The DISGUSTING State of Mobile Game Ads (and why YouTube LOVES IT) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |website=YouTube |date=18 Sep 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref> Practices are also put into place in order to force non-paying users into seeing these ads as well, such as subscription-gating playing videos in the background.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=YouTube Premium |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AEC |website=YouTube |date= |access-date=6 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260206072120/https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AED |archive-date=6 Feb 2026}}</ref>

Furthermore, even if a user pays for YouTube premium, they do not necessarily receive an ad-free experience<ref>{{Cite web |author=CaptainMystery_123 |title=I have YouTube premium, why am I getting adds. |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=18 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250525154227/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |archive-date=25 May 2025}}</ref> — they may still see ads within the video they watch, such as sponsored segments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Adamya |title=Can you still see ads if you have YouTube Premium? Here's what Google has to say |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/remove-youtube-premium-ads-3384953/ |website=Android Authority |date=10 May 2024 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251211123241/https://www.androidauthority.com/remove-youtube-premium-ads-3384953/ |archive-date=11 Dec 2025}}</ref> YouTube has added a "skip" feature, but it has been reported that this does not work consistently.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Anurag |title=YouTube now lets you skip sponsored segments — but you’ll have to pay for it |url=https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |website=Dexerto |date=22 Aug 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822211151/https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2024}}</ref>

====Refusal to handle malicious ads====
A common phenomenon on YouTube's advertisements is content that is mature and/or malicious in nature.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Beyond The Internet |title=YouTube Ads are inappropriate... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |website=YouTube |date=22 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |archive-date=23 Feb 2025}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Adamya |title=Explicit ads are plaguing YouTube, and it’s only getting worse
|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127062033/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |archive-date=27 Jan 2025}}</ref> The content of these advertisements include pornography,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Saberspark |title=YouTube's Ads Have Hit A New Low...(it's literally p*rn) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |website=YouTube |date=31 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |archive-date=2 Apr 2025}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> false advertising,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> scams,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Jakob_G |title=YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217150604/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |archive-date=17 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=JerryRigEverything |title=I CAUGHT THE YOUTUBE SCAMMER - $1000 dollars EVERY DAY?! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |website=YouTube |date=9 Mar 2023 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=LoganAH |title=Why does YouTube run blatant scams as advertisements? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=22 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713054442/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |archive-date=13 Jul 2025}}</ref> and far more. Rather than working towards clearing these ads, or acknowledging this advertising content that has been harming consumers on the platform, YouTube moderation has only cut the revenue for these videos that attempt to call out these ads,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Deep Humor |title=Watch This Before YouTube Deletes It. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |website=YouTube |date=24 Feb 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |archive-date=26 Feb 2025}}</ref> which has been known to make said videos be less-showcased.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |author=Sealow |title=Extensive evidence of algorithm censorship of demonetised videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |website=YouTube |date=29 Nov 2017 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |author=Karlaplan |title=Monetisation analysis / research |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl |website=[[Google]] |date=20 Nov 2017 |access-date=3 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://consumerrights.wiki/images/5/5c/Karlaplan_Monetisation_analysis_research.pdf |archive-date=11 Feb 2026}}</ref>

===Demonetization and censorship===
Since at least 2016, YouTube has had an extensive record of censoring content that is demonetized.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Within understandable circumstances, legitimately malicious or offensive videos would be demonetized and should not be shown on the platform; however, how videos are considered to be demonetized has had a harmful impact upon both viewers and content creators. Transgender creators on YouTube, for example, have experienced unfair censorship via demonetization since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Disney |first=Malia |title=Trans YouTubers Say They Are Being Censored. Is It The Algorithm? |url=https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |website=Youth Radio Media
|date=4 May 2018 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130035845/https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |archive-date=30 Jan 2023}}</ref> Content creators affected by this unfairly balanced moderation via algorithms<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cantz |first=Randy |title=Adpocalypse: How YouTube Demonetization Imperils the Future of Free Speech |url=https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |website=Berkeley Political Review |date=1 May 2018 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424095310/https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |archive-date=24 Apr 2024}}</ref> have dubbed these events as "adpocalypses".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Julia |title=YouTubers fear looming ‘adpocalypse’ after child exploitation controversy
|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |website=The Verge |date=20 Feb 2019 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220205927/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |archive-date=20 Feb 2019}}</ref>

====Irresponsibly automated moderation====
When YouTube integrated the ability to take down videos via the [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] (DMCA), they decided to often handle take-down requests in an automated manner.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Jines |first=Chuck |title=ABUSE – How DMCA automated takedown notices violate free speech |url=https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |website=Chuck Jines |date=4 Mar 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303201747/https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |archive-date=3 Mar 2025}}</ref> This automation has led to an excess in fraudulent DMCA take-downs of content,<ref>{{Cite web |author=itanshi |title=I'd like to talk about the problem with anonymous DMCA take down notices. |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=27 Mar 2017 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606184354/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |archive-date=6 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=The Last Civil Rights Lawyer |title=“Lackluster” Gets a Fraudulent Copyright Strike for Dashcam Footage and Now We Sue |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |website=YouTube |date=21 Jul 2021 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |archive-date=2 Feb 2026}}</ref> even going so far as to have [[Bungie]] call out YouTube in a legal case for their negligence.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brodkin
|first=John |title=Bungie slams YouTube’s DMCA system in lawsuit against ''Destiny'' takedown fraudsters |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |website=Ars Technica |date=28 Mar 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329203809/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Maxwell |first=Andy |title=Digital Trails: How Bungie Identified a Mass Sender of Fake DMCA Notices |url=https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=24 Jun 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624070824/https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |archive-date=24 Jun 2022}}</ref> These take-down requests have ranged from users impersonating corporations, to users impersonating other users.<ref name=":3" />

===Crackdown against ad-blockers===

The prevalence of advertising on the platform, coupled with the repeated appearance of harmful and deceptive ads within YouTube's advertising system, led a significant number of users to employ ad-blocking tools to facilitate their viewing experience.

In response, Google initiated technical countermeasures to limit the functionality of these tools. This has resulted in an ongoing cycle where ad-blocker developers adapt to new restrictions, and the platform subsequently implements further detection methods. A key strategy in this effort involves the implementation of advanced code integrity checks designed to ensure ad content is delivered to viewers.

However, these measures typically exhibit limited efficacy before ad-blocking tools develop new methods of circumvention,<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Flaherty |first=Kate |title=YouTube’s Ad Blocker Ban Just Got Even Bigger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |url-access=subscription |website=Forbes |date=20 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620123932/https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |archive-date=20 Jun 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Scharon |title=YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown escalates, aggravating users |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |website=Ars Technica |date=1 Nov 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101170643/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |archive-date=1 Nov 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=YouTube blocks adblockers; will this be their downfall? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg |website=YouTube |date=12 Oct 2023 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg |archive-date=13 Oct 2023}}</ref> a dynamic that some analysts suggest exemplifies the {{Wplink|Streisand effect}}.<ref>{{Cite web |author=phub |title=Brave no longer blocking youtube ads as of March 27, 2024 |url=https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |website=Brave |date=27 Mar 2024 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801101510/https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |archive-date=1 Aug 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=YouTube's adblock war is backfiring in the worst way possible 🤣 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI |website=YouTube |date=5 Nov 2023 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI |archive-date=5 Nov 2023}}</ref>

Additional strategies have involved the integration of advertisements directly into video streams. This approach has impaired the functionality of certain browser extensions, including SponsorBlock, a community-driven tool designed to skip sponsored segments within videos. The extension relies on user-submitted timestamps to identify these segments; its effectiveness is significantly reduced when personalized advertisements, which vary in duration and placement for each viewer, are embedded into the stream itself.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis
|title=Youtube is dedicated to making this website worse; destroys sponsorblock with ad injection changes |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw |website=YouTube |date=18 Jun 2024
|access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw |archive-date=28 Jul 2024}}</ref>

Google has publicly acknowledged implementing code that degrades the user experience for individuals using ad blockers. This includes introducing artificial latency, which has been documented to slow page load times, a measure that also affected users of the Firefox browser.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=Youtube confirms intentional slowdown of adblock users 🤦‍♂️ |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk |website=YouTube |date=23 Nov 2023 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk |archive-date=23 Nov 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=Is Youtube making firefox load slow on purpose? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 |website=YouTube |date=21 Nov 2023 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 |archive-date=21 Nov 2023}}</ref>

===Offline video DRM===
The YouTube Mobile application permits users with a YouTube Premium subscription to download videos for offline viewing. However, the downloaded content is protected by [[Digital rights management|Digital Rights Management]] (DRM) that [[Forced cloud|requires the application to establish an online connection]] with YouTube's servers at least once every 48 hours to maintain playback functionality. This requirement is not prominently featured on the primary YouTube Premium marketing page and is detailed instead within the platform's support documentation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |author= |date= |title=YouTube Premium |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251111004845/https://www.youtube.com/premium |archive-date=11 Nov 2025 |access-date=2 Feb 2026 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in selected countries and regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |website=[[Google]] |date=13 Jul 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250719175650/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |archive-date=19 Jul 2025}}</ref>

Saved videos are forcibly deleted after 29 days. [[Data_lock-in#Videos_downloaded_inside_the_YouTube_app|Data lock-in and proprietary encoding]] prevents the user from making permanent copies of videos, even those licensed under Creative Commons.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Santos |first=Noel |title=Warning: Youtube Premium "Downloads" aren't MP4 Files |url=https://www.virtualcuriosities.com/articles/3383/warning-youtube-premium-downloads-arent-mp4-files |website=Virtual Curiosities |date=7 Dec 2024 |access-date=2 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251126100053/https://www.virtualcuriosities.com/articles/3383/warning-youtube-premium-downloads-arent-mp4-files |archive-date=26 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Mental Outlaw |title=Google is Locking Down Android |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1S0SiBuJN8 |website=YouTube |date=28 Aug 2025 |access-date=2 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=L1S0SiBuJN8 |archive-date=29 Aug 2025}}</ref>

===Universal DRM testing and violation of Creative Commons licenses===
YouTube on TV is an {{Wplink|HTML5}} web interface from Google to allow supported devices — such as game consoles which do not have a native YouTube app — to view content via YouTube. An {{Wplink|A/B testing|A/B experiment}} has begun which protects all video and audio content regardless of bit-rate or format via the YouTube on TV platform with DRM.<ref>{{Cite web |author=coletdjnz |title=[YouTube] DRM on ALL videos with tv (TVHTML5) client #12563 |url=https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |website=GitHub |date=8 Mar 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330031529/https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |archive-date=30 Mar 2025}}</ref> A number of content creators license their work uploaded to YouTube via the {{Wplink|Creative Commons}} licenses. The universal implementation of DRM to restrict a user's ability to exercise their rights granted by the license is a violation of the aforementioned licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=License Versions |url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |website=Creative Commons |date=13 Jul 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101062938/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |archive-date=1 Jan 2025}}</ref>

===Pay-walling standard browser features===
Another premium feature of the YouTube mobile app is the ability to play videos in the background.<ref name=":0" /> Without a premium subscription, neither the app nor a web browser will play YouTube videos in the background. However, the default HTML5 video player supports this with no extra effort needed from the developer.

On 7 February 2026, it was reported that YouTube Music was testing a feature that would paywall song lyrics, which were previously a free feature since 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hardwick |first=Tim |title=YouTube Music lyrics now require a Premium subscription |url=https://9to5google.com/2026/02/07/youtube-music-lyrics-premium/ |website=9TO5Google |date=7 Feb 2026 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260208225137/https://9to5google.com/2026/02/07/youtube-music-lyrics-premium/ |archive-date=8 Feb 2026}}</ref>

=== Removal of community captions (2020) ===
In 2020, YT deleted all [[wikipedia:Crowdsourcing|crowd-sourced]] subtitles on videos, and disabled the ability to add them (applies to new and old videos, retroactively).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lyons |first=Kim |date=2020-07-31 |title=YouTube is ending its community captions feature and deaf creators aren’t happy about it |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/31/21349401/youtube-community-captions-deaf-creators-accessibility-google |access-date=2026-05-28 |website=The Verge}}</ref>

===Removal of the dislike count on videos===
On 10 November 2021, YouTube removed the public dislike count from all of its videos. Creators are still be able to view dislike counts on their videos through the YouTube Studio website and app.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |author= |title=An update to dislikes on YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |website=YouTube Official Blog |date=10 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110173333/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |archive-date=10 Nov 2021}}</ref>

According to YouTube, this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" /> This spurred the creation of "Return YouTube Dislike" by Dmitry Selivanov, a third-party web browser extension to expose the dislike count again. YouTube discontinued the related {{Wplink|API}}, upon which the extension relied, on 13 December 2021. From thereon "Return YouTube Dislike" switched "to using a combination of archived dislike stats, estimates extrapolated from extension user data and estimates based on view/like ratios for videos whose dislikes weren't archived and for outdated dislike archives."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Can |first=Michael |title=Browser Extension Brings Back Dislike Count to YouTube Videos |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos
|website=PC Mag |date=29 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130001311/https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos |archive-date=30 Nov 2021}}</ref>

===Removal of chronological searching===
In January 2026, YouTube removed the ability to search videos by the most recently uploaded, as well as the "last hour" search filter. The "last day" search filter is the narrowest remaining time filter.

A Google employee stated that this change is intended to "improve content discovery" and that they are "simplifying and reorganizing the filter menu to make it more intuitive and improve the overall search experience".<ref>{{Cite web |author=Hank (TeamYouTube) |title=Changes to YouTube Search Filters to Improve Content Discovery |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/400586735/changes-to-youtube-search-filters-to-improve-content-discovery |website=[[Google]] |date=8 Jan 2026 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260108225453/https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/400586735/changes-to-youtube-search-filters-to-improve-content-discovery |archive-date=8 Jan 2026}}</ref> However, it was noted that this makes it more difficult to discover eye-witness stories that are alternatives to mainstream news outlets, and makes it harder for watchers to discover channels with low subscriber counts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cubbins |first=Dwayne |title=YouTube may be testing removal of Upload date filter from search on web |url=https://piunikaweb.com/2026/01/06/youtube-upload-date-filter-removal-test-web/ |website=PiunikaWeb |date=6 Jan 2026 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260329221637/https://piunikaweb.com/2026/01/06/youtube-upload-date-filter-removal-test-web/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Melchner |first=Felix |title=Why did YouTube remove the "last hour" filter? |url=https://www.recentreborn.com/blog/why-did-youtube-remove-the-last-hour-filter |website=RecentReborn |date= |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260311025955/https://www.recentreborn.com/blog/why-did-youtube-remove-the-last-hour-filter |archive-date=11 Mar 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Jack_P_1337 |title=Youtube removes the "Sort by Upload Date" option pretending it didn't work, the reality? They want absolute control of the information you are allowed to get from the site |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1q8szsr/youtube_removes_the_sort_by_upload_date_option/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=10 Jan 2026 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260329174114/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1q8szsr/youtube_removes_the_sort_by_upload_date_option/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2026}}</ref>

===Anti-features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===
YouTube's algorithm was engineered to make the user watch more videos than they intended, to earn more ad revenue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nicas |first=Jack |title=How YouTube Drives People to the Internet’s Darkest Corners |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-youtube-drives-viewers-to-the-internets-darkest-corners-1518020478 |url-access=subscription |website=The Wall Street Journal. |date=7 Feb 2018 |access-date=29 Jan 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208091112/https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-youtube-drives-viewers-to-the-internets-darkest-corners-1518020478 |archive-date=8 Dec 2018 |quote=YouTube engineered its algorithm several years ago to make the site “sticky”—to recommend videos that keep users staying to watch still more, said current and former YouTube engineers who helped build it. The site earns money selling ads that run before and during videos.}}</ref> This is on top of a feature called Autoplay, which queues another video (chosen by Youtube's algorithm) and plays that automatically after a short delay so you keep watching more. Through this mechanism, children will especially have their attention extracted for several hours.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |author= |title=James Bridle: What Do Kids' Videos on YouTube Reveal About the Internet's Dark Side? |others=NPR/TED Staff |url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/662612151 |website=NPR |date=2 Nov 2018 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250620234159/https://www.npr.org/transcripts/662612151 |archive-date=20 Jun 2025 |quote="And also, on the other side of the screen, there still are these little kids watching this stuff - right? - their full attention grabbed by these weird mechanisms. And so there's autoplay, where it just keeps playing these videos over and over and over on a loop, endlessly, for hours and hours at a time. And there's so much weirdness in the system now that autoplay takes you to some pretty strange places. This is how within, like, a dozen steps, you can go from a cute video of a counting train to masturbating Mickey Mouse."}}</ref>

By default, this feature is enabled.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Autoplay videos - YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |website=[[Google]] |date=4 Apr 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401080124/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |archive-date=1 Apr 2025}}</ref>

===Crackdown against third-party front-ends===

Since the beginning of 2025, users have been reporting issues with third-party front-ends accessing the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Fijxu |title=Youtube changed something, again! |url=https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |website=nadeko |date=16 Feb 2025 |access-date=16 Aug 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250816014757/https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |archive-date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref> For FreeTube, there has been a heightened amount of people receiving {{Wplink|HTTP 403|403 errors}} associated with IP blocks when attempting to view videos via this front-end.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Gevaarlijk |title=[Bug]: [BAD_HTTP_STATUS: 403] Potential causes: IP block or streaming URL deciphering failed #6701 |url=https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/issues/6701 |website=[[GitHub]] |date=31 Jan 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260105144421/https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/issues/6701 |archive-date=5 Jan 2026}}</ref>

===AI filtering without consent===
YouTube is testing an experiment on Shorts content that enhances a video's detail without the creator's consent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reisner |first=Alex |title=YouTube’s Sneaky AI ‘Experiment’
|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/08/youtube-shorts-ai-upscaling/683946/ |website=The Atlantic |date=22 Aug 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250822194955/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/08/youtube-shorts-ai-upscaling/683946/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2025}}</ref> The resulting output tends to look plastic. This change has been observed as early as 27 June 2025<ref>{{Cite web |author=Ulincsys |title=YouTube Shorts are almost certainly being AI upscaled |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1lllnse/youtube_shorts_are_almost_certainly_being_ai/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=27 Jun 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250827144146/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1lllnse/youtube_shorts_are_almost_certainly_being_ai/ |archive-date=27 Aug 2025}}</ref> and affects creators who especially intend the video to be viewed in a certain way, such as the "{{Wplink|VHS}} look".<ref>{{Cite web |author=dolanbriese |title=YouTube Shorts are becoming AI upscaled without consent from creators |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1m5y7zu/youtube_shorts_are_becoming_ai_upscaled_without/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=21 Jul 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251003103832/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1m5y7zu/youtube_shorts_are_becoming_ai_upscaled_without/ |archive-date=3 Oct 2025}}</ref> Rhett Shull, in his video, opines such a change "will inevitably erode viewers trust in my content [...] or any of the other creators on this platform that we all watch and we all follow" due to implications that the creator may be using AI, and "also erodes my trust in the platform."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shull |first=Rhett |title=YouTube Is Using AI to Alter Content (and not telling us) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86nhP8tvbLY |website=YouTube |date=14 Aug 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=86nhP8tvbLY |archive-date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref>

Artist Sam Yang uploaded a video on 30 August 2025, following up on the issue using his own work for comparison, testing the claims that this is merely compression scaling, adding an artist's eye and commentary to the issue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yang |first=Sam |title=Youtube is Using AI on Your Shorts Without Consent.. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjnQ-s7LW-g |website=YouTube |date=30 Aug 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=tjnQ-s7LW-g |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref>

Users also complained about a dangerous flickering that happens under some videos. Some forwarded this issue to YouTube scientist Anton Petrov, to which he replicated the issue and showed it under a video uploaded 25 October 2025, noting it happens on one of his devices, more specifically a mobile phone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Petrov |first=Anton |title=YouTube AI Filter Is Making My Videos Dangerous To Watch |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HY-nREvVu4 |website=YouTube |date=25 Oct 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=2HY-nREvVu4 |archive-date=26 Oct 2025}}</ref>

===Wave of channel terminations (''2025'')===
In November 2025, multiple YouTube channels, including Enderman, Scratchit Gaming, and 4096 were reportedly terminated in a massive ban wave under false reasons, such as association with a Japanese-language channel "椛のスターレイル遊び" which translates roughly as "Momiji plays Honkai: Star Rail Adventures," a reference to a Japanese role-playing game. Some have blamed the ban wave on the malfunctions of YouTube's AI-powered moderation system.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Binder |first=Matt |title=Big YouTube channels are being banned. YouTubers are blaming AI. |url=https://mashable.com/article/big-youtube-channels-terminated-creators-blame-ai |website=Mashable |date=4 Nov 2025 |access-date=2 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260221125020/https://mashable.com/article/big-youtube-channels-terminated-creators-blame-ai |archive-date=21 Feb 2026}}</ref>

===API restrictions===
In June 2023, YouTube forced Matt Wright, maintainer of the YouTube Metadata tool, to remove the exporting feature which let people export YouTube metadata such as video descriptions into a file. This did not include the videos themselves. It can be assumed that this is the "tip of an iceberg" and YouTube made many such requests without them being publicly documented.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Benjamin |title=Export Feature? #150 |url=https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-metadata/discussions/150 |website=[[GitHub]] |date=5 Jun 2023 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251214094758/https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-metadata/discussions/150 |archive-date=14 Dec 2025}}</ref>

===Prevention of offline video preservation (downloading)===
Creating permanent local copies of videos is strongly discouraged by YouTube.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Vsauce Answers the 100 Most Googled Questions {{!}} WIRED (timestamps 7:20 and 8:57) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkojLslXg5M |website=YouTube |date=19 Jun 2017 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=gkojLslXg5M |archive-date=31 Jan 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schmoyer |first=Tim |title=How To Legally Download YouTube Videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVPriyYwd-E |website=YouTube |date=18 Aug 2016 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=IVPriyYwd-E |archive-date=5 Mar 2026}}</ref> YouTube is taking measures to prevent people from backing up videos locally. From a YouTube help center article:
<blockquote>In order to protect the YouTube community, we may prevent signed-out users from accessing YouTube videos when they're attempting to download material for offline use.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Troubleshoot YouTube video errors |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3037019#zippy=%2Ccheck-that-youre-signed-in-to-youtube |website=[[Google]] |date= |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260323195048/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3037019 |archive-date=23 Mar 2026}}</ref></blockquote>

It is not specified what preventing offline use is intended to protect against.

YouTube also regularly purges tutorial videos that show how to create local copies of videos.<ref>{{Cite web |author=ifxman |title=How To Download Convert YouTube Videos 2 Anything |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkyqFiUrhTc |website=YouTube |date=26 Apr 2008 |access-date= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813001114/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkyqFiUrhTc |archive-date=13 Aug 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Ritace40 |title=How to download youtube videos without any software |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XLLOij1GSQ |website=YouTube |date=18 Dec 2011 |access-date= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713154012/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XLLOij1GSQ |archive-date=13 Jul 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=MKBHD |title=Download Youtube Videos Free -- No Software! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xf6uukCHmk |website=YouTube |date=18 Aug 2010 |access-date= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003225255/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xf6uukCHmk |archive-date=3 Oct 2012}}</ref>

Instead, YouTube wants its users to pay monthly for its subscription service, YouTube Premium, to have any form of offline access to videos. YouTube Premium comes with a "download" feature, but it is useless for long-term archival of videos given that it only lets users store temporary local copies of YouTube videos that are forcibly deleted after 29 days. In addition, to thwart any permanent preservation, the videos are stored with [[Data lock-in#Videos downloaded inside the YouTube app|data lock-in]] and proprietary encoding in a format only recognized by the YouTube app, to prevent local copying.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Mental Outlaw |title=Google is Locking Down Android (timestamp 6:41) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1S0SiBuJN8 |website=YouTube |date=29 Aug 2025 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/L1S0SiBuJN8 |archive-date=29 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=YouTube videos offline FAQs |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7381437 |website=[[Google]] |date= |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260207132551/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7381437 |archive-date=7 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref name="VirtualCuriosities">{{Cite web |last=Santos |first=Noel |title=Warning: Youtube Premium "Downloads" aren't MP4 Files |url=https://www.virtualcuriosities.com/articles/3383/warning-youtube-premium-downloads-arent-mp4-files |website=Virtual Curiosities |date=7 Dec 2024 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251126100053/https://www.virtualcuriosities.com/articles/3383/warning-youtube-premium-downloads-arent-mp4-files |archive-date=26 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=What's Wrong with YouTube |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/whats-wrong-with-youtube.html |website=GNU |date= |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216041246/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/whats-wrong-with-youtube.html |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=squabbledMC |title=YouTube downloads not working - Megathread |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/cobalt_tools/comments/1lhmlqx/youtube_downloads_not_working_megathread/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=22 Jun 2025 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260322015608/https://old.reddit.com/r/cobalt_tools/comments/1lhmlqx/youtube_downloads_not_working_megathread/ |archive-date=22 Mar 2026}}</ref>

While YouTube can advertise its Premium service as technically allowing "downloading", the deceptive marketing comes from exploiting the fact that the user expects so-called "downloading" to result in a file stored in the web browser's Download folder, accessible from other software, instead of the [[data lock-in]] that YouTube Premium actually has. The 29-day storage limit coupled with data lock-in render the built-in "downloading" feature of YouTube Premium useless for any long-term archival.<ref name="VirtualCuriosities" />

Downloading local copies of YouTube videos through "unofficial" and "unapproved" means is the only recourse against the loss of Internet history caused by videos being unpublished by channel owners or YouTube, and against a future shutdown of YouTube. As of 2026, there is no certainty that YouTube will be operating by the year 2050, for instance.

<blockquote>Whenever I tell people that we need to plan for the day when YouTube goes offline, I mostly receive weird reactions. It seems to be the case that people can't think of YouTube being gone. Unfortunately, I'm convinced that most people will face the day when we lose this enormous library of videos. — Karl Voit<ref>{{Cite web |last=Voit |first=Karl |title=My Dependencies on the Cloud |url=https://karl-voit.at/cloud-dependencies/ |website=Karl Voit |date= |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216041319/https://karl-voit.at/cloud-dependencies/ |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref></blockquote>

Videos can disappear from YouTube for a variety of reasons. In fact, less than half of the videos that were publicly available on YouTube as of 2010 were still available as of 2021, according to a long-time study from a sample of 105 million videos.<ref>{{Cite web |author=themadprogramer |title=YouTube was made for Reuploads |url=https://datahorde.org/youtube-was-made-for-reuploads/ |website=Data Horde |date=28 Jul 2021 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714224416/https://datahorde.org/youtube-was-made-for-reuploads/ |archive-date=14 Jul 2022}}</ref> Sometimes, channel owners decide to "move on" and delete (or otherwise unpublish) their entire history of uploads. Sometimes, videos contain something Google doesn't like for whatever reason and they take them down, one example being "Android is losing a big feature" by comedian Sam Tucker (SAMTIME).<ref>{{Cite web |author=SAMTIME |title=Android is losing a big feature |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfccCB2Vz-M |website=YouTube |date=18 Sep 2024 |access-date= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=dfccCB2Vz-M |archive-date=19 Sep 2024}}</ref>

Sometimes YouTube's community guidelines grow stricter and retroactively affect existing content, with entire channels being taken down due to strikes on only a few videos, resulting in the collateral loss of all other videos, with one famous example being Mumkey Jones.<ref>{{Cite web |author=j aubrey |title=Mumkey Jones: YouTube's Most Wanted |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te8-ETSDgcs |website=YouTube |date=21 Jan 2019 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/Te8-ETSDgcs |archive-date=23 Jan 2024}}</ref>

===Forced sign-in===
Since 2025, the Android app and the web-app sometimes [[Forced account|require users to login]] to their Google accounts to "confirm you're not a bot".{{Citation needed}} They could require solving a [[CAPTCHA]], but they don't do that. This, paired with [[Google#Phone number requirement for new accounts|Google's phone-number requirement]], makes it impossible for users to share a single "guest" account, as is typically the case for families sharing a smart TV.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:YouTube| ]]

YouTube

2026-05-28T16:02:59Z

Rudxain: /* Forced sign-in */

{{ProductLineCargo
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Streaming, Video
|Company=Google
|Description=YouTube is a video-sharing platform founded in 2005.
|InProduction=Yes
|Logo=YouTube.png
|ReleaseYear=2005
|Website=https://youtube.com
}}

'''{{Wplink|YouTube}}''', founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, is a global video-sharing platform and one of the most visited websites in the world. Acquired by [[Google]] in 2006, YouTube has since become the dominant platform for sharing videos on the internet.

YouTube's business model is built around advertising revenue, with creators earning money through ad views, subscriptions, and other monetization options. The platform hosts a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, news, video logs ("vlogs"), and live streams. YouTube has also begun offering subscription services, such as YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, for ad-free experiences, exclusive content, and live television.

YouTube has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny on multiple fronts. Concerns have been raised about content moderation policies, the platform's role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on user privacy, particularly in relation to data collection practices. Additionally, YouTube has been under fire for its algorithms, which some argue promote harmful or divisive content to maximize engagement.

==Consumer impact summary==
*'''User freedom:''' Questionable and highly contradictory due rampant bots, falsely accusing others of using their intellectual properties or “IP” for short (although it’s usually either others’ IPs, or it’s criticism, parodies, documentation, commentary, or other fair uses), and [[Elsagate]] suggest negligent moderation.
*'''User privacy:''' Poor; Since August 2025, accessing mature content without identification is a gamble. User data is also sold to advertisers and the site is owned by [[Google]].
*'''Business model:''' [[Advertising overload|Excessive advertising]], YouTube Premium, YouTube Premium Lite
*'''Market competition:''' Despite several platforms that follow its niche, such as Odysee, [[PeerTube]], and [[DailyMotion]], they provide no significant competition.

==Incidents==
===Elsagate===
{{Main|Elsagate}}

The first "Elsagate" incident arose sometime during the mid-2010s on YouTube, though it was not discovered and named until 2016. It has since been used as a catch-all term for content that appears child-friendly at first glance but, in actuality, contains suggestive or outright illicit material targeted at minors. This is accomplished by using major intellectual properties for children, such as the Elsa character from the 2013 [[Disney]] film ''{{Wplink|Frozen (2013 film)|Frozen}}'' and [[Minecraft]].

Although the problem is not unique to the YouTube platform, its dominance in the video sphere makes it an attractive target.

===Restricting users that don't share their personal information===
{{Main|YouTube age verification}}

On 30 July 2025, in response to the [[UK Online Safety Act]], YouTube announced a verification update that asks for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, otherwise they could not access content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |website=GameRant |date=30 Jul 2025 |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250730234131/https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |archive-date=30 Jul 2025}}</ref>

YouTube will estimate the age of a user from various sources, including the videos watched, and will ask for previously mentioned personal information when it believes that the user falls below 18.

===Advertising overload on YouTube===
{{Main|Advertising overload}}

Advertisements are YouTube's primary source of revenue.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=How YouTube Works |url=https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/sharing-revenue/ |website=YouTube |date= |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260101140008/https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/creator-economy/ |archive-date=1 Jan 2026}}</ref> This has led to advertisements becoming more pervasive on the platform<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Jordan |date=20 Jan 2024 |title=Why YouTube Has So Many Ads (and Why There Will Probably Be More) |url=https://www.33rdsquare.com/software-app/why-youtube-has-so-many-ads-and-why-there-will-probably-be-more/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/GjC82 |archive-date=24 Feb 2026 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |website=33rd Square}}</ref> such as an increasing number of spaces for static ads, longer ad breaks (which some users have documented being longer than the videos they watch<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siddiqui |first=Aamir |title=Frustrated YouTube viewers seek explanation for hour-long unskippable ads (Updated: Clarification) |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128162022/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dirscherl |first=Hans-Christian |last2=Lee |first2=Joel |title=Hours-long unskippable ads spotted on YouTube. What’s going on? |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |website=PCWorld |date=28 Jan 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250129183554/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |archive-date=29 Jan 2025}}</ref> and most prevalent on YouTube TV<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adegbola |first=Anu
|title=YouTube tests longer CTV ad breaks |url=https://searchengineland.com/youtube-tests-longer-ad-breaks-ctv-445248 |website=Search Engine Land |date=16 Aug 2024 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816143812/https://searchengineland.com/youtube-tests-longer-ad-breaks-ctv-445248 |archive-date=16 Aug 2024}}</ref>), increased ad frequency in videos,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wright |first=Arol |title=YouTube is Adding Even More Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |website=How-To-Geek |date=26 Apr 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426192258/https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |archive-date=26 Apr 2024}}</ref> and poorer quality ads.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=T3rr0r |title=BAD Mobile Game Ads |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |website=YouTube |date=17 Oct 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Knoblauch |first=Max |title=Why are mobile game ads so weird and bad? |url=https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |website=Sherwood News |date=14 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614151756/https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |archive-date=14 Jun 2024}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |author=Saberspark |title=The DISGUSTING State of Mobile Game Ads (and why YouTube LOVES IT) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |website=YouTube |date=18 Sep 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref> Practices are also put into place in order to force non-paying users into seeing these ads as well, such as subscription-gating playing videos in the background.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=YouTube Premium |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AEC |website=YouTube |date= |access-date=6 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260206072120/https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AED |archive-date=6 Feb 2026}}</ref>

Furthermore, even if a user pays for YouTube premium, they do not necessarily receive an ad-free experience<ref>{{Cite web |author=CaptainMystery_123 |title=I have YouTube premium, why am I getting adds. |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=18 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250525154227/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |archive-date=25 May 2025}}</ref> — they may still see ads within the video they watch, such as sponsored segments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Adamya |title=Can you still see ads if you have YouTube Premium? Here's what Google has to say |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/remove-youtube-premium-ads-3384953/ |website=Android Authority |date=10 May 2024 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251211123241/https://www.androidauthority.com/remove-youtube-premium-ads-3384953/ |archive-date=11 Dec 2025}}</ref> YouTube has added a "skip" feature, but it has been reported that this does not work consistently.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Anurag |title=YouTube now lets you skip sponsored segments — but you’ll have to pay for it |url=https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |website=Dexerto |date=22 Aug 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822211151/https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2024}}</ref>

====Refusal to handle malicious ads====
A common phenomenon on YouTube's advertisements is content that is mature and/or malicious in nature.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Beyond The Internet |title=YouTube Ads are inappropriate... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |website=YouTube |date=22 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |archive-date=23 Feb 2025}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Adamya |title=Explicit ads are plaguing YouTube, and it’s only getting worse
|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127062033/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |archive-date=27 Jan 2025}}</ref> The content of these advertisements include pornography,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Saberspark |title=YouTube's Ads Have Hit A New Low...(it's literally p*rn) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |website=YouTube |date=31 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |archive-date=2 Apr 2025}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> false advertising,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> scams,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Jakob_G |title=YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217150604/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |archive-date=17 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=JerryRigEverything |title=I CAUGHT THE YOUTUBE SCAMMER - $1000 dollars EVERY DAY?! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |website=YouTube |date=9 Mar 2023 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=LoganAH |title=Why does YouTube run blatant scams as advertisements? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=22 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713054442/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |archive-date=13 Jul 2025}}</ref> and far more. Rather than working towards clearing these ads, or acknowledging this advertising content that has been harming consumers on the platform, YouTube moderation has only cut the revenue for these videos that attempt to call out these ads,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Deep Humor |title=Watch This Before YouTube Deletes It. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |website=YouTube |date=24 Feb 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |archive-date=26 Feb 2025}}</ref> which has been known to make said videos be less-showcased.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |author=Sealow |title=Extensive evidence of algorithm censorship of demonetised videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |website=YouTube |date=29 Nov 2017 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |author=Karlaplan |title=Monetisation analysis / research |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl |website=[[Google]] |date=20 Nov 2017 |access-date=3 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://consumerrights.wiki/images/5/5c/Karlaplan_Monetisation_analysis_research.pdf |archive-date=11 Feb 2026}}</ref>

===Demonetization and censorship===
Since at least 2016, YouTube has had an extensive record of censoring content that is demonetized.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Within understandable circumstances, legitimately malicious or offensive videos would be demonetized and should not be shown on the platform; however, how videos are considered to be demonetized has had a harmful impact upon both viewers and content creators. Transgender creators on YouTube, for example, have experienced unfair censorship via demonetization since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Disney |first=Malia |title=Trans YouTubers Say They Are Being Censored. Is It The Algorithm? |url=https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |website=Youth Radio Media
|date=4 May 2018 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130035845/https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |archive-date=30 Jan 2023}}</ref> Content creators affected by this unfairly balanced moderation via algorithms<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cantz |first=Randy |title=Adpocalypse: How YouTube Demonetization Imperils the Future of Free Speech |url=https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |website=Berkeley Political Review |date=1 May 2018 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424095310/https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |archive-date=24 Apr 2024}}</ref> have dubbed these events as "adpocalypses".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Julia |title=YouTubers fear looming ‘adpocalypse’ after child exploitation controversy
|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |website=The Verge |date=20 Feb 2019 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220205927/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |archive-date=20 Feb 2019}}</ref>

====Irresponsibly automated moderation====
When YouTube integrated the ability to take down videos via the [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] (DMCA), they decided to often handle take-down requests in an automated manner.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Jines |first=Chuck |title=ABUSE – How DMCA automated takedown notices violate free speech |url=https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |website=Chuck Jines |date=4 Mar 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303201747/https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |archive-date=3 Mar 2025}}</ref> This automation has led to an excess in fraudulent DMCA take-downs of content,<ref>{{Cite web |author=itanshi |title=I'd like to talk about the problem with anonymous DMCA take down notices. |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=27 Mar 2017 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606184354/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |archive-date=6 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=The Last Civil Rights Lawyer |title=“Lackluster” Gets a Fraudulent Copyright Strike for Dashcam Footage and Now We Sue |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |website=YouTube |date=21 Jul 2021 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |archive-date=2 Feb 2026}}</ref> even going so far as to have [[Bungie]] call out YouTube in a legal case for their negligence.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brodkin
|first=John |title=Bungie slams YouTube’s DMCA system in lawsuit against ''Destiny'' takedown fraudsters |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |website=Ars Technica |date=28 Mar 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329203809/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Maxwell |first=Andy |title=Digital Trails: How Bungie Identified a Mass Sender of Fake DMCA Notices |url=https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=24 Jun 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624070824/https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |archive-date=24 Jun 2022}}</ref> These take-down requests have ranged from users impersonating corporations, to users impersonating other users.<ref name=":3" />

===Crackdown against ad-blockers===

The prevalence of advertising on the platform, coupled with the repeated appearance of harmful and deceptive ads within YouTube's advertising system, led a significant number of users to employ ad-blocking tools to facilitate their viewing experience.

In response, Google initiated technical countermeasures to limit the functionality of these tools. This has resulted in an ongoing cycle where ad-blocker developers adapt to new restrictions, and the platform subsequently implements further detection methods. A key strategy in this effort involves the implementation of advanced code integrity checks designed to ensure ad content is delivered to viewers.

However, these measures typically exhibit limited efficacy before ad-blocking tools develop new methods of circumvention,<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Flaherty |first=Kate |title=YouTube’s Ad Blocker Ban Just Got Even Bigger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |url-access=subscription |website=Forbes |date=20 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620123932/https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |archive-date=20 Jun 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Scharon |title=YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown escalates, aggravating users |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |website=Ars Technica |date=1 Nov 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101170643/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |archive-date=1 Nov 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=YouTube blocks adblockers; will this be their downfall? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg |website=YouTube |date=12 Oct 2023 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg |archive-date=13 Oct 2023}}</ref> a dynamic that some analysts suggest exemplifies the {{Wplink|Streisand effect}}.<ref>{{Cite web |author=phub |title=Brave no longer blocking youtube ads as of March 27, 2024 |url=https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |website=Brave |date=27 Mar 2024 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801101510/https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |archive-date=1 Aug 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=YouTube's adblock war is backfiring in the worst way possible 🤣 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI |website=YouTube |date=5 Nov 2023 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI |archive-date=5 Nov 2023}}</ref>

Additional strategies have involved the integration of advertisements directly into video streams. This approach has impaired the functionality of certain browser extensions, including SponsorBlock, a community-driven tool designed to skip sponsored segments within videos. The extension relies on user-submitted timestamps to identify these segments; its effectiveness is significantly reduced when personalized advertisements, which vary in duration and placement for each viewer, are embedded into the stream itself.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis
|title=Youtube is dedicated to making this website worse; destroys sponsorblock with ad injection changes |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw |website=YouTube |date=18 Jun 2024
|access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw |archive-date=28 Jul 2024}}</ref>

Google has publicly acknowledged implementing code that degrades the user experience for individuals using ad blockers. This includes introducing artificial latency, which has been documented to slow page load times, a measure that also affected users of the Firefox browser.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=Youtube confirms intentional slowdown of adblock users 🤦‍♂️ |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk |website=YouTube |date=23 Nov 2023 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk |archive-date=23 Nov 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=Is Youtube making firefox load slow on purpose? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 |website=YouTube |date=21 Nov 2023 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 |archive-date=21 Nov 2023}}</ref>

===Offline video DRM===
The YouTube Mobile application permits users with a YouTube Premium subscription to download videos for offline viewing. However, the downloaded content is protected by [[Digital rights management|Digital Rights Management]] (DRM) that [[Forced cloud|requires the application to establish an online connection]] with YouTube's servers at least once every 48 hours to maintain playback functionality. This requirement is not prominently featured on the primary YouTube Premium marketing page and is detailed instead within the platform's support documentation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |author= |date= |title=YouTube Premium |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251111004845/https://www.youtube.com/premium |archive-date=11 Nov 2025 |access-date=2 Feb 2026 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in selected countries and regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |website=[[Google]] |date=13 Jul 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250719175650/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |archive-date=19 Jul 2025}}</ref>

Saved videos are forcibly deleted after 29 days. [[Data_lock-in#Videos_downloaded_inside_the_YouTube_app|Data lock-in and proprietary encoding]] prevents the user from making permanent copies of videos, even those licensed under Creative Commons.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Santos |first=Noel |title=Warning: Youtube Premium "Downloads" aren't MP4 Files |url=https://www.virtualcuriosities.com/articles/3383/warning-youtube-premium-downloads-arent-mp4-files |website=Virtual Curiosities |date=7 Dec 2024 |access-date=2 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251126100053/https://www.virtualcuriosities.com/articles/3383/warning-youtube-premium-downloads-arent-mp4-files |archive-date=26 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Mental Outlaw |title=Google is Locking Down Android |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1S0SiBuJN8 |website=YouTube |date=28 Aug 2025 |access-date=2 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=L1S0SiBuJN8 |archive-date=29 Aug 2025}}</ref>

===Universal DRM testing and violation of Creative Commons licenses===
YouTube on TV is an {{Wplink|HTML5}} web interface from Google to allow supported devices — such as game consoles which do not have a native YouTube app — to view content via YouTube. An {{Wplink|A/B testing|A/B experiment}} has begun which protects all video and audio content regardless of bit-rate or format via the YouTube on TV platform with DRM.<ref>{{Cite web |author=coletdjnz |title=[YouTube] DRM on ALL videos with tv (TVHTML5) client #12563 |url=https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |website=GitHub |date=8 Mar 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330031529/https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |archive-date=30 Mar 2025}}</ref> A number of content creators license their work uploaded to YouTube via the {{Wplink|Creative Commons}} licenses. The universal implementation of DRM to restrict a user's ability to exercise their rights granted by the license is a violation of the aforementioned licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=License Versions |url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |website=Creative Commons |date=13 Jul 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101062938/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |archive-date=1 Jan 2025}}</ref>

===Pay-walling standard browser features===
Another premium feature of the YouTube mobile app is the ability to play videos in the background.<ref name=":0" /> Without a premium subscription, neither the app nor a web browser will play YouTube videos in the background. However, the default HTML5 video player supports this with no extra effort needed from the developer.

On 7 February 2026, it was reported that YouTube Music was testing a feature that would paywall song lyrics, which were previously a free feature since 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hardwick |first=Tim |title=YouTube Music lyrics now require a Premium subscription |url=https://9to5google.com/2026/02/07/youtube-music-lyrics-premium/ |website=9TO5Google |date=7 Feb 2026 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260208225137/https://9to5google.com/2026/02/07/youtube-music-lyrics-premium/ |archive-date=8 Feb 2026}}</ref>

===Removal of the dislike count on videos===
On 10 November 2021, YouTube removed the public dislike count from all of its videos. Creators are still be able to view dislike counts on their videos through the YouTube Studio website and app.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |author= |title=An update to dislikes on YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |website=YouTube Official Blog |date=10 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110173333/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |archive-date=10 Nov 2021}}</ref>

According to YouTube, this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" /> This spurred the creation of "Return YouTube Dislike" by Dmitry Selivanov, a third-party web browser extension to expose the dislike count again. YouTube discontinued the related {{Wplink|API}}, upon which the extension relied, on 13 December 2021. From thereon "Return YouTube Dislike" switched "to using a combination of archived dislike stats, estimates extrapolated from extension user data and estimates based on view/like ratios for videos whose dislikes weren't archived and for outdated dislike archives."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Can |first=Michael |title=Browser Extension Brings Back Dislike Count to YouTube Videos |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos
|website=PC Mag |date=29 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130001311/https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos |archive-date=30 Nov 2021}}</ref>

===Removal of chronological searching===
In January 2026, YouTube removed the ability to search videos by the most recently uploaded, as well as the "last hour" search filter. The "last day" search filter is the narrowest remaining time filter.

A Google employee stated that this change is intended to "improve content discovery" and that they are "simplifying and reorganizing the filter menu to make it more intuitive and improve the overall search experience".<ref>{{Cite web |author=Hank (TeamYouTube) |title=Changes to YouTube Search Filters to Improve Content Discovery |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/400586735/changes-to-youtube-search-filters-to-improve-content-discovery |website=[[Google]] |date=8 Jan 2026 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260108225453/https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/400586735/changes-to-youtube-search-filters-to-improve-content-discovery |archive-date=8 Jan 2026}}</ref> However, it was noted that this makes it more difficult to discover eye-witness stories that are alternatives to mainstream news outlets, and makes it harder for watchers to discover channels with low subscriber counts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cubbins |first=Dwayne |title=YouTube may be testing removal of Upload date filter from search on web |url=https://piunikaweb.com/2026/01/06/youtube-upload-date-filter-removal-test-web/ |website=PiunikaWeb |date=6 Jan 2026 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260329221637/https://piunikaweb.com/2026/01/06/youtube-upload-date-filter-removal-test-web/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Melchner |first=Felix |title=Why did YouTube remove the "last hour" filter? |url=https://www.recentreborn.com/blog/why-did-youtube-remove-the-last-hour-filter |website=RecentReborn |date= |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260311025955/https://www.recentreborn.com/blog/why-did-youtube-remove-the-last-hour-filter |archive-date=11 Mar 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Jack_P_1337 |title=Youtube removes the "Sort by Upload Date" option pretending it didn't work, the reality? They want absolute control of the information you are allowed to get from the site |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1q8szsr/youtube_removes_the_sort_by_upload_date_option/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=10 Jan 2026 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260329174114/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1q8szsr/youtube_removes_the_sort_by_upload_date_option/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2026}}</ref>

===Anti-features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===
YouTube's algorithm was engineered to make the user watch more videos than they intended, to earn more ad revenue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nicas |first=Jack |title=How YouTube Drives People to the Internet’s Darkest Corners |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-youtube-drives-viewers-to-the-internets-darkest-corners-1518020478 |url-access=subscription |website=The Wall Street Journal. |date=7 Feb 2018 |access-date=29 Jan 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208091112/https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-youtube-drives-viewers-to-the-internets-darkest-corners-1518020478 |archive-date=8 Dec 2018 |quote=YouTube engineered its algorithm several years ago to make the site “sticky”—to recommend videos that keep users staying to watch still more, said current and former YouTube engineers who helped build it. The site earns money selling ads that run before and during videos.}}</ref> This is on top of a feature called Autoplay, which queues another video (chosen by Youtube's algorithm) and plays that automatically after a short delay so you keep watching more. Through this mechanism, children will especially have their attention extracted for several hours.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |author= |title=James Bridle: What Do Kids' Videos on YouTube Reveal About the Internet's Dark Side? |others=NPR/TED Staff |url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/662612151 |website=NPR |date=2 Nov 2018 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250620234159/https://www.npr.org/transcripts/662612151 |archive-date=20 Jun 2025 |quote="And also, on the other side of the screen, there still are these little kids watching this stuff - right? - their full attention grabbed by these weird mechanisms. And so there's autoplay, where it just keeps playing these videos over and over and over on a loop, endlessly, for hours and hours at a time. And there's so much weirdness in the system now that autoplay takes you to some pretty strange places. This is how within, like, a dozen steps, you can go from a cute video of a counting train to masturbating Mickey Mouse."}}</ref>

By default, this feature is enabled.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Autoplay videos - YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |website=[[Google]] |date=4 Apr 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401080124/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |archive-date=1 Apr 2025}}</ref>

===Crackdown against third-party front-ends===

Since the beginning of 2025, users have been reporting issues with third-party front-ends accessing the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Fijxu |title=Youtube changed something, again! |url=https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |website=nadeko |date=16 Feb 2025 |access-date=16 Aug 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250816014757/https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |archive-date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref> For FreeTube, there has been a heightened amount of people receiving {{Wplink|HTTP 403|403 errors}} associated with IP blocks when attempting to view videos via this front-end.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Gevaarlijk |title=[Bug]: [BAD_HTTP_STATUS: 403] Potential causes: IP block or streaming URL deciphering failed #6701 |url=https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/issues/6701 |website=[[GitHub]] |date=31 Jan 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260105144421/https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/issues/6701 |archive-date=5 Jan 2026}}</ref>

===AI filtering without consent===
YouTube is testing an experiment on Shorts content that enhances a video's detail without the creator's consent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reisner |first=Alex |title=YouTube’s Sneaky AI ‘Experiment’
|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/08/youtube-shorts-ai-upscaling/683946/ |website=The Atlantic |date=22 Aug 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250822194955/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/08/youtube-shorts-ai-upscaling/683946/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2025}}</ref> The resulting output tends to look plastic. This change has been observed as early as 27 June 2025<ref>{{Cite web |author=Ulincsys |title=YouTube Shorts are almost certainly being AI upscaled |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1lllnse/youtube_shorts_are_almost_certainly_being_ai/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=27 Jun 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250827144146/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1lllnse/youtube_shorts_are_almost_certainly_being_ai/ |archive-date=27 Aug 2025}}</ref> and affects creators who especially intend the video to be viewed in a certain way, such as the "{{Wplink|VHS}} look".<ref>{{Cite web |author=dolanbriese |title=YouTube Shorts are becoming AI upscaled without consent from creators |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1m5y7zu/youtube_shorts_are_becoming_ai_upscaled_without/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=21 Jul 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251003103832/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1m5y7zu/youtube_shorts_are_becoming_ai_upscaled_without/ |archive-date=3 Oct 2025}}</ref> Rhett Shull, in his video, opines such a change "will inevitably erode viewers trust in my content [...] or any of the other creators on this platform that we all watch and we all follow" due to implications that the creator may be using AI, and "also erodes my trust in the platform."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shull |first=Rhett |title=YouTube Is Using AI to Alter Content (and not telling us) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86nhP8tvbLY |website=YouTube |date=14 Aug 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=86nhP8tvbLY |archive-date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref>

Artist Sam Yang uploaded a video on 30 August 2025, following up on the issue using his own work for comparison, testing the claims that this is merely compression scaling, adding an artist's eye and commentary to the issue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yang |first=Sam |title=Youtube is Using AI on Your Shorts Without Consent.. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjnQ-s7LW-g |website=YouTube |date=30 Aug 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=tjnQ-s7LW-g |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref>

Users also complained about a dangerous flickering that happens under some videos. Some forwarded this issue to YouTube scientist Anton Petrov, to which he replicated the issue and showed it under a video uploaded 25 October 2025, noting it happens on one of his devices, more specifically a mobile phone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Petrov |first=Anton |title=YouTube AI Filter Is Making My Videos Dangerous To Watch |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HY-nREvVu4 |website=YouTube |date=25 Oct 2025 |access-date=11 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.preservetube.com/watch?v=2HY-nREvVu4 |archive-date=26 Oct 2025}}</ref>

===Wave of channel terminations (''2025'')===
In November 2025, multiple YouTube channels, including Enderman, Scratchit Gaming, and 4096 were reportedly terminated in a massive ban wave under false reasons, such as association with a Japanese-language channel "椛のスターレイル遊び" which translates roughly as "Momiji plays Honkai: Star Rail Adventures," a reference to a Japanese role-playing game. Some have blamed the ban wave on the malfunctions of YouTube's AI-powered moderation system.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Binder |first=Matt |title=Big YouTube channels are being banned. YouTubers are blaming AI. |url=https://mashable.com/article/big-youtube-channels-terminated-creators-blame-ai |website=Mashable |date=4 Nov 2025 |access-date=2 Feb 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260221125020/https://mashable.com/article/big-youtube-channels-terminated-creators-blame-ai |archive-date=21 Feb 2026}}</ref>

===API restrictions===
In June 2023, YouTube forced Matt Wright, maintainer of the YouTube Metadata tool, to remove the exporting feature which let people export YouTube metadata such as video descriptions into a file. This did not include the videos themselves. It can be assumed that this is the "tip of an iceberg" and YouTube made many such requests without them being publicly documented.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Benjamin |title=Export Feature? #150 |url=https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-metadata/discussions/150 |website=[[GitHub]] |date=5 Jun 2023 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251214094758/https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-metadata/discussions/150 |archive-date=14 Dec 2025}}</ref>

===Prevention of offline video preservation (downloading)===
Creating permanent local copies of videos is strongly discouraged by YouTube.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Vsauce Answers the 100 Most Googled Questions {{!}} WIRED (timestamps 7:20 and 8:57) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkojLslXg5M |website=YouTube |date=19 Jun 2017 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=gkojLslXg5M |archive-date=31 Jan 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schmoyer |first=Tim |title=How To Legally Download YouTube Videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVPriyYwd-E |website=YouTube |date=18 Aug 2016 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=IVPriyYwd-E |archive-date=5 Mar 2026}}</ref> YouTube is taking measures to prevent people from backing up videos locally. From a YouTube help center article:
<blockquote>In order to protect the YouTube community, we may prevent signed-out users from accessing YouTube videos when they're attempting to download material for offline use.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Troubleshoot YouTube video errors |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3037019#zippy=%2Ccheck-that-youre-signed-in-to-youtube |website=[[Google]] |date= |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260323195048/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3037019 |archive-date=23 Mar 2026}}</ref></blockquote>

It is not specified what preventing offline use is intended to protect against.

YouTube also regularly purges tutorial videos that show how to create local copies of videos.<ref>{{Cite web |author=ifxman |title=How To Download Convert YouTube Videos 2 Anything |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkyqFiUrhTc |website=YouTube |date=26 Apr 2008 |access-date= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813001114/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkyqFiUrhTc |archive-date=13 Aug 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Ritace40 |title=How to download youtube videos without any software |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XLLOij1GSQ |website=YouTube |date=18 Dec 2011 |access-date= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713154012/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XLLOij1GSQ |archive-date=13 Jul 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=MKBHD |title=Download Youtube Videos Free -- No Software! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xf6uukCHmk |website=YouTube |date=18 Aug 2010 |access-date= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003225255/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xf6uukCHmk |archive-date=3 Oct 2012}}</ref>

Instead, YouTube wants its users to pay monthly for its subscription service, YouTube Premium, to have any form of offline access to videos. YouTube Premium comes with a "download" feature, but it is useless for long-term archival of videos given that it only lets users store temporary local copies of YouTube videos that are forcibly deleted after 29 days. In addition, to thwart any permanent preservation, the videos are stored with [[Data lock-in#Videos downloaded inside the YouTube app|data lock-in]] and proprietary encoding in a format only recognized by the YouTube app, to prevent local copying.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Mental Outlaw |title=Google is Locking Down Android (timestamp 6:41) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1S0SiBuJN8 |website=YouTube |date=29 Aug 2025 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/L1S0SiBuJN8 |archive-date=29 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=YouTube videos offline FAQs |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7381437 |website=[[Google]] |date= |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260207132551/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7381437 |archive-date=7 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref name="VirtualCuriosities">{{Cite web |last=Santos |first=Noel |title=Warning: Youtube Premium "Downloads" aren't MP4 Files |url=https://www.virtualcuriosities.com/articles/3383/warning-youtube-premium-downloads-arent-mp4-files |website=Virtual Curiosities |date=7 Dec 2024 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251126100053/https://www.virtualcuriosities.com/articles/3383/warning-youtube-premium-downloads-arent-mp4-files |archive-date=26 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=What's Wrong with YouTube |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/whats-wrong-with-youtube.html |website=GNU |date= |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216041246/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/whats-wrong-with-youtube.html |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=squabbledMC |title=YouTube downloads not working - Megathread |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/cobalt_tools/comments/1lhmlqx/youtube_downloads_not_working_megathread/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=22 Jun 2025 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260322015608/https://old.reddit.com/r/cobalt_tools/comments/1lhmlqx/youtube_downloads_not_working_megathread/ |archive-date=22 Mar 2026}}</ref>

While YouTube can advertise its Premium service as technically allowing "downloading", the deceptive marketing comes from exploiting the fact that the user expects so-called "downloading" to result in a file stored in the web browser's Download folder, accessible from other software, instead of the [[data lock-in]] that YouTube Premium actually has. The 29-day storage limit coupled with data lock-in render the built-in "downloading" feature of YouTube Premium useless for any long-term archival.<ref name="VirtualCuriosities" />

Downloading local copies of YouTube videos through "unofficial" and "unapproved" means is the only recourse against the loss of Internet history caused by videos being unpublished by channel owners or YouTube, and against a future shutdown of YouTube. As of 2026, there is no certainty that YouTube will be operating by the year 2050, for instance.

<blockquote>Whenever I tell people that we need to plan for the day when YouTube goes offline, I mostly receive weird reactions. It seems to be the case that people can't think of YouTube being gone. Unfortunately, I'm convinced that most people will face the day when we lose this enormous library of videos. — Karl Voit<ref>{{Cite web |last=Voit |first=Karl |title=My Dependencies on the Cloud |url=https://karl-voit.at/cloud-dependencies/ |website=Karl Voit |date= |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216041319/https://karl-voit.at/cloud-dependencies/ |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref></blockquote>

Videos can disappear from YouTube for a variety of reasons. In fact, less than half of the videos that were publicly available on YouTube as of 2010 were still available as of 2021, according to a long-time study from a sample of 105 million videos.<ref>{{Cite web |author=themadprogramer |title=YouTube was made for Reuploads |url=https://datahorde.org/youtube-was-made-for-reuploads/ |website=Data Horde |date=28 Jul 2021 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714224416/https://datahorde.org/youtube-was-made-for-reuploads/ |archive-date=14 Jul 2022}}</ref> Sometimes, channel owners decide to "move on" and delete (or otherwise unpublish) their entire history of uploads. Sometimes, videos contain something Google doesn't like for whatever reason and they take them down, one example being "Android is losing a big feature" by comedian Sam Tucker (SAMTIME).<ref>{{Cite web |author=SAMTIME |title=Android is losing a big feature |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfccCB2Vz-M |website=YouTube |date=18 Sep 2024 |access-date= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=dfccCB2Vz-M |archive-date=19 Sep 2024}}</ref>

Sometimes YouTube's community guidelines grow stricter and retroactively affect existing content, with entire channels being taken down due to strikes on only a few videos, resulting in the collateral loss of all other videos, with one famous example being Mumkey Jones.<ref>{{Cite web |author=j aubrey |title=Mumkey Jones: YouTube's Most Wanted |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te8-ETSDgcs |website=YouTube |date=21 Jan 2019 |access-date=12 Apr 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/Te8-ETSDgcs |archive-date=23 Jan 2024}}</ref>

===Forced sign-in===
Since 2025, the Android app and the web-app sometimes [[Forced account|require users to login]] to their Google accounts to "confirm you're not a bot".{{Citation needed}} They could require solving a [[CAPTCHA]], but they don't do that. This, paired with [[Google#Phone number requirement for new accounts|Google's phone-number requirement]], makes it impossible for users to share a single "guest" account, as is typically the case for families sharing a smart TV.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:YouTube| ]]

Template:Clippy says

2026-05-28T02:11:50Z

Rudxain: remove `title` param; remove "Geneva" from font list, as it seems irrelevant

<noinclude>
'''NOTICE''': this template is mostly "finished", but its presentation/style might change dramatically in the near future. Be careful!
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Template:Clippy says/doc

2026-05-28T02:05:26Z

Rudxain: remote `title` example, in anticipation to remove it

Template:Clippy says

2026-05-28T02:04:34Z

Rudxain: add `alt`; make bubble closer to Clippy

<noinclude>
'''NOTICE''': this template is mostly "finished", but its presentation/style might change dramatically in the near future. Be careful!
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User talk:Tempo123

2026-05-27T23:31:27Z

Rudxain: use Clippy_Says template

==Articles removed==

I wanted to ask about the recent articles you removed from Projects:Archive everything was that already decided or you recently removed it due to you seeing it? or are you secretly Keith? [[User:Im8685|Im8685]] ([[User talk:Im8685|talk]]) 10:19, 17 February 2026 (UTC)

:I removed them after seeing a mention of the CS2 article on discord, so I went and had a look, and saw several deleted articles, and removed them from the list. I just lurk on the discord, <s>idk who keith is</s> oh you mean the admin lol, I wish [[User:Tempo123|Tempo123]] ([[User talk:Tempo123|talk]]) 18:52, 19 February 2026 (UTC)
::Nah you good because I was the one who asked about it and everyone said (except of Keith) "It has not been created yet lol" I was like ok and then Keith after a day replied he will look into it aka fix it so I thought he did it except it was a member like me , Thanks for your contribution bro.. [[User:Im8685|Im8685]] ([[User talk:Im8685|talk]]) 04:59, 24 February 2026 (UTC)
:::Also if you like you can add the Template on my user page to your page if you want... [[User:Im8685|Im8685]] ([[User talk:Im8685|talk]]) 05:00, 24 February 2026 (UTC)

== PERMA-COMPUTE ==

{{ClippySay|1=I see that [https://consumerrights.wiki/index.php?title=User:Tempo123&oldid=52548#:~:text=Permacomputing you're interested in permacomputing]. A user named [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] has [[User:Rudxain/Permacomputing|a page about it]], would you like to read it and maybe send feedback?}}

<nowiki>:</nowiki>3 [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] ([[User talk:Rudxain|talk]]) 21:24, 26 May 2026 (UTC)

Template:Clippy says/doc

2026-05-27T23:26:54Z

Rudxain: See also Clippy Campaign

Idea from [https://zulip.consumerrights.wiki/#narrow/channel/12-Feedback-.26-Suggestions/topic//near/18408 here]:
<blockquote>It should look like the actual/original Clippit is saying it inside a notice/info-box. I got the idea while writing [https://consumerrights.wiki/index.php?title=User_talk%3ATempo123&oldid=54876#PERMA-COMPUTE this]</blockquote>

This is kinda similar to <code>[[wikipedia:Cowsay|cowsay]]</code>.

This template can be used to make Clippy say anything you want, ideally something pro-consumer, in a format such as "It looks like you're trying to do X, do you want to do Y?". I see great potential in documentation pages, such as Help pages, where Clippy could be seen giving advice/tips about the wiki.

==Examples==
{{Clippy_says|title=Clippy!|It looks like you're testing the title parameter!}}

{{Clippy_says|It seems like you want to use this template. Do you want help with that?}}

==See also==
* [[Clippy Campaign]]

Template:ClippySay

2026-05-27T23:23:49Z

Rudxain: Redirected page to Template:Clippy says

#REDIRECT [[Template:Clippy_says]]

Template:Clippit says

2026-05-27T23:22:36Z

Rudxain: Redirected page to Template:Clippy says

#REDIRECT [[Template:Clippy_says]]

Template:Clippy says

2026-05-27T23:07:02Z

Rudxain: not draft, but still unstable

<noinclude>
'''NOTICE''': this template is mostly "finished", but its presentation/style might change dramatically in the near future. Be careful!
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Template:Clippy says/doc

2026-05-27T23:04:54Z

Rudxain: Examples

Idea from [https://zulip.consumerrights.wiki/#narrow/channel/12-Feedback-.26-Suggestions/topic//near/18408 here]:
<blockquote>It should look like the actual/original Clippit is saying it inside a notice/info-box. I got the idea while writing [https://consumerrights.wiki/index.php?title=User_talk%3ATempo123&oldid=54876#PERMA-COMPUTE this]</blockquote>

This is kinda similar to <code>[[wikipedia:Cowsay|cowsay]]</code>.

This template can be used to make Clippy say anything you want, ideally something pro-consumer, in a format such as "It looks like you're trying to do X, do you want to do Y?". I see great potential in documentation pages, such as Help pages, where Clippy could be seen giving advice/tips about the wiki.

==Examples==
{{Clippy_says|title=Clippy!|It looks like you're testing the title parameter!}}

{{Clippy_says|It seems like you want to use this template. Do you want help with that?}}

Template:Clippy says

2026-05-27T23:02:41Z

Rudxain: it looks like this is not a draft anymore!

<noinclude>
'''NOTICE''': this template is in draft state!
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[[File:{{{image|Clippy-new.jpg}}}|86px|link=]]
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{{#if:{{{title|}}}|<div style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em">{{{title}}}</div>}}

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Template:Clippy says/doc

2026-05-27T22:31:27Z

Rudxain: Created page with "Idea from [https://zulip.consumerrights.wiki/#narrow/channel/12-Feedback-.26-Suggestions/topic//near/18408 here]: <blockquote>It should look like the actual/original Clippit is saying it inside a notice/info-box. I got the idea while writing [https://consumerrights.wiki/index.php?title=User_talk%3ATempo123&oldid=54876#PERMA-COMPUTE this]</blockquote> This is kinda similar to <code>cowsay</code>. This template can be used to make Clippy say anything..."

Template:Clippy says

2026-05-27T22:08:07Z

Rudxain: More complete intro

<noinclude>
'''NOTICE''': this template is in draft state!
It's supposed to have an image of Clippit on the left with a speech bubble containing the value of <code>quote</code>.

Idea from [https://zulip.consumerrights.wiki/#narrow/channel/12-Feedback-.26-Suggestions/topic//near/18408 here]:
<blockquote>It should look like the actual/original Clippit is saying it inside a notice/info-box. I got the idea while writing [https://consumerrights.wiki/index.php?title=User_talk%3ATempo123&oldid=54876#PERMA-COMPUTE this]</blockquote>

This is kinda similar to <code>[[wikipedia:Cowsay|cowsay]]</code>.

This template can be used to make Clippy say anything you want, ideally something pro-consumer. I see great potential in documentation pages, such as Help pages, where Clippy could be seen giving advice/tips about the wiki.

{{#template_params:quote (label=Quote)}}

</noinclude><includeonly>
{{#template_display:_format=infobox}}</includeonly>

Artificial intelligence

2026-05-27T20:58:42Z

Rudxain: "Lack of control" section. Is that a good name?

{{Irrelevant}}{{ToneWarning}}

'''Artificial intelligence''' ('''AI''') is a field of computer science that produces systems designed to solve problems that humans typically solve using intelligence. In the consumer and industry space, it is commonly referred to as chatbots or [[wikipedia:Large language model|large language models]] (LLMs), which have been a main focus of industry since the November 2022 launch of [[OpenAI]]'s [[ChatGPT]], with tens of billions of dollars in funding allocated to producing more popular LLMs. This is also a significant focus on [[wikipedia:Text-to-image model|text-to-image models]], which "draw" an image using a written prompt, and less commonly, [[wikipedia:Text-to-video model|text-to-video models]], which extend the text-to-image concept across several smooth video frames.

AI is not a new concept; it has been of interest since the 1950s. AI is a catch-all term, encompassing many areas and techniques.

[[wikipedia:Generative artificial intelligence|Generative artificial intelligence]] models are trained through vast amounts of existing human-generated content. LLMs gather statistics on word patterns, which allows the model to generate sequences of words that seem similar to what a person might have written. However, an LLM does not understand anything; they cannot reason. They generate randomly modulated pattern of tokens. In this way, they function similarly to autocomplete.

People reading sequences of tokens sometimes perceive things they think are true. Sequences that do not make sense to the reader, or that are false, are called [[wikipedia:Hallucination (artificial intelligence)|hallucinations]]. LLMs are typically trained to produce output that is pleasing to people, exhibiting [[Dark pattern|dark patterns]]. For example, they produce output which seems confidently written, use patterns which praise the user (sycophancy), and employ emotionally manipulative language.

People are accustomed to interacting with others, and many overestimate the abilities of things that exhibit complex, person-like patterns. Promoters of “AI” systems take advantage of this tendency, using suggestive names (like “reasoning” and “learning”) and grand claims (“PhD level”), which make it harder for people to understand these systems.

From November 2022 to 2025, venture capitalists and companies invested hundreds of billions of dollars into AI but received minimal returns. When companies seek returns, consumers can expect that products may be orphaned, services may be reduced, customer data may be sold or repurposed, costs may rise, and companies may reduce staff or fail. Historically, AI has had brief periods of intense hype, followed by disillusionment, and “AI winters.”<sup>[<nowiki/>[[Consumer Rights Wiki:Verifiability|citation needed]]]</sup>

The current well-funded industry of artificial intelligence tools has led to the rampant and unethical use of content. Startups aiming to develop AI services have been rapidly scraping the internet for content to train future models, and members of the field are concerned that they are approaching the limit of publicly available content to train from.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tremayne-Pengelly |first=Alexandra |date=16 Dec 2024 |title=Ilya Sutskever Warns A.I. Is Running Out of Data—Here’s What Will Happen Next |url=https://observer.com/2024/12/openai-cofounder-ilya-sutskever-ai-data-peak/ |website=Observer |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251126053705/https://observer.com/2024/12/openai-cofounder-ilya-sutskever-ai-data-peak/ |archive-date=26 Nov 2025}}</ref>

==Why is it a problem==
===Unethical training of data===
:Further reading: [[Artificial intelligence/training]]

Users' work is sometimes silently used in training without their explicit consent, as was the case for [[Adobe's AI policy]].

===Privacy concerns of AI===
AI can be and has been used to generate deepfakes of people with and without their consent. Deepfakes are media generated with the likeness of an individual. Deepfake media can range from harmless to harmful. The latter includes child pornography, revenge porn, blackmail, etc. Since the rampant rise of consumer AI, deepfakes have become even more prevalent, with some websites explicitly specializing in them.<sup>[<nowiki/>[[Consumer Rights Wiki:Verifiability|citation needed]]]</sup>

===Privacy concerns of online AI models===
There are several concerns with using online AI models like [[ChatGPT]], not only because they are proprietary, but also because there is no guarantee of where your data will be stored or used. Recent developments in local AI models offer an alternative to online AI models, which can be downloaded from platforms like [https://huggingface.co/ HuggingFace] and used offline. Common models to run include Llama ([[Meta]]), DeepSeek ([[DeepSeek]]), Phi ([[Microsoft]]), Mistral ([[Mistral AI]]), Gemma ([[Google]]).

In some cases, AI models can be hijacked for malicious purposes. Demonstrated with Comet ([[Perplexity]]), users can run arbitrary prompts to the browser's built-in AI assistant by hiding text in the HTML comments, non-visible webpage text, or simple comments on a webpage.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=Aug 20, 2025 |title=Tweet from Brave |url=https://nitter.us.catsarch.com/brave/status/1958152314914508893 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260321120531/https://nitter.us.catsarch.com/brave/status/1958152314914508893 |archive-date=21 Mar 2026 |access-date=Aug 24, 2025 |website=X (formerly [[Twitter]])}}</ref> These arbitrary prompts can then be exploited to obtain sensitive information or gain unauthorized access to high-value accounts, such as those for banking or gaming libraries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Aug 23, 2025 |title=Tweet from zack (in SF) |url=https://nitter.us.catsarch.com/zack_overflow/status/1959308058200551721 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260321120841/https://nitter.us.catsarch.com/zack_overflow/status/1959308058200551721 |archive-date=21 Mar 2026 |access-date=Aug 24, 2025 |website=X (formerly [[Twitter]])}}</ref> See [[wikipedia:Prompt_injection|Prompt injection]].

===Unethical maintenance of data centers===

Due to heavy investments into and increased use of generative AI and LLMs, many data centers have been constructed to host LLMs. These data centers consume large amounts of power and water, in order to power and cool the computer systems running the models. Residents that live in cities where AI data centers have been constructed have complained of an increase in their electricity bills despite no change in their personal usage.<sup>[<nowiki/>[[Consumer Rights Wiki:Verifiability|citation needed]]]</sup> According to a research video by Benn Jordan, these data centers (as well as fracking operations and natural occurrences) cause a high amount of sound pollution, which can cause various symptoms.<ref> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bP80DEAbuo ([https://preservetube.com/watch?v=_bP80DEAbuo Archived])</ref>

=== Lack of control ===
In many cases where AI is deployed as a robot/drone or given access to a system/device (as an "[[wikipedia:AI_agent|agent]]"), there's no [[Security#Audit|security auditing]] of those systems that ensures AI can't exploit vulnerabilities and potentially become [[wikipedia:AI_takeover|rogue]] (either intentionally or accidentally). The consequences of this could be as little as a robot failing to do its job, to harming and killing humans and animals, this includes damaging other robots or itself.

Some experts in the field have started a [[wikipedia:Superintelligence_ban|Super Intelligence Ban]] movement, which is based on the aforementioned concerns along with the concern of AI becoming an existential threat to the entirety of humanity and the planet.

===Hidden directives===
Most AI apps include an initial "root"/"system" prompt given to the AI, which is hidden from the user. Some corporations go to great lengths to keep those prompts hidden, and to avoid leaking it to the user. Some projects attempt to bring back transparency to these tools, in spite of the restrictions.<ref>https://github.com/elder-plinius/CL4R1T4S</ref>

==Further reading==
*[[Automatic content recognition]]

==External links==

*[https://aisafety.dance/ Nicky Case, ''“AI Safety for Fleshy Humans”'', Hack Club (2024)]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Artificial intelligence| ]]

Security

2026-05-27T20:49:31Z

Rudxain: Audit section

'''Security''' is an engineering principle whereby the risk of an unauthorized malicious agent gaining control of a product, its information, or its environment is minimized. Security of programs and physical products is critical to consumer protection.

==Security vulnerabilities==
A security vulnerability is any function of a product that allows an unauthorized agent is able to gain some level of control over the product, its information, or the product's environment. Vulnerability severity can range depending on how much access an unauthorized agent is granted. To further understand vulnerabilities it is useful to list some real examples:

#The apache log4j exploit<ref>[https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/log4j "What is the Log4j vulnerability?"] - ibm.com - accessed 1/22/2025 ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260113232610/https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/log4j Archived])</ref> where a malicious user could remotely execute code (known as an RCE Attack) by feeding the logger malicious data which causes it to download and execute malicious code. This vulnerability could compromise the security of nearly any system running applications with older versions of log4j. The impact of the log4j exploit could have been massive due to its status as a Java library, meaning that many programs use it solely for the purpose of logging information causing log4j to have massive reach.
#The NoFly.csv leak where the majority if not the entirety of the US No Fly list was exposed on an unsecured server.<ref>[https://www.dailydot.com/debug/no-fly-list-us-tsa-unprotected-server-commuteair/ "EXCLUSIVE: U.S. airline accidentally exposes ‘No Fly List’ on unsecured server"] - dailydot.com - accessed 1/22/2025 ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250602100136/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/no-fly-list-us-tsa-unprotected-server-commuteair/ Archived])</ref> Similar data leaks have and can occur containing more sensitive user information: emails, passwords, real names, social security numbers (SSN), etc.

Security vulnerabilities primarily show up in software products but they can also exist in real life. Home security often depends upon locks which are themselves physical security implementations that prevent intruders from entering but this does not stop someone from just smashing the window: a physical security vulnerability

== Audit ==
{{Main|wikipedia:Information_security_audit}}
Security auditing is a review process by which a system is inspected to ensure it complies with a specification and to check that it satisfies the desired security levels.

==How security relates to consumer rights==
Security is both a blessing and a curse towards control over the things consumers own. Being forced to login to a laptop to use it is a sensible decision, being forced to connect your treadmill to the internet and gain authorization just to run on it (as seen [[Peloton removes Just Run feature|here]]) is not. Companies may use [[Deceptive language frequently used against consumers#"For the safety of the consumer"|security as an excuse]] to reduce consumer control and so it is important to identify these misuses. If a company takes away consumer rights using security as an excuse consider that "the emperor may not have any clothes" and their security is not as strong as they portray it. {{Citation needed|reason=needs verifiability}}

===Poor security principals harm the consumer===
A large number of security incidents are caused because the producer of a product has a general misunderstanding of what security is and how to produce secure products. In addition a misunderstanding of the purpose of security can induce companies to take actions capable of harming consumer rights.

====Security through obscurity====
{{main|Security through obscurity}}

Obscuring, or hiding, a product's information increases the time a person or organization would need to take to fully understand how a product works. While this will delay the discovery of security vulnerabilities{{Citation needed|reason=needs verifiability}} it can never stop them{{Citation needed|reason=Who?}}, in addition obscuring product information prevents maintenance of products by the consumer, violating their [[Right to Repair|right to repair]]. {{Citation needed|reason=needs verifiability}}

====Security through authorization====
{{main|Authorization}}

Authorization is the process of confirming that a user is who they say they are. Authorization processes are extremely important to the functioning of the internet but risk becoming a security vulnerability and threat to consumer rights if used improperly. Authorization features can be used by companies to lock out features when the user's subscription expires, in this case the purpose of authorization is lost because the user need not confirm who they are, just that they have a valid subscription. These sorts of lock-outs are significant in that the product's physical features still work but the company is intentionally preventing the user from accessing them because their internet-based subscription has ended.

Authorization for the sake of company product control harms the consumer's [[right to own]] their purchase and also can introduce new attack vectors for malicious actors. Attack vectors may be introduced within the product itself: malicious actors can't remotely hack a fridge without an internet connection but they might be able to hack a smart fridge that has the user login via the internet. Attack vectors may be introduced on the user's information as the company now needs to store authorization information (password hashes, usernames, emails, god forbid in clear text) and may do so insecurely opening themselves to attack.

===How to avoid losing rights in the name of "security"===
#Avoid using physical and software products that needlessly require connection to the internet. Your fridge does not need to be "smart". Choosing to use a smart appliance opens the door for companies to take away your rights as well as open you to security vulnerabilities.
#Avoid using physical products that require a proprietary app to use. While the product itself may not connect directly to the internet, your internet device now serves as a bridge to it. This opens the door for companies to take away your rights via the app. In addition, the app itself may have security vulnerabilities of its own.
#Avoid using physical products that need a subscription to use. For example, a normal treadmill won't brick itself if the company goes out of business, or decides to [[Peloton removes Just Run feature|eliminate a subscription free feature]] in the name of safety or security.
#Avoid using closed-source products if equivalent open-source products exist. Open source products are not necessarily more secure, but they are far less likely to violate a consumer's rights simply because the consumer has the ability to change the product as they wish.

==Further reading==
*[[End-user license agreement]]
*[[Terms of service]]
*[[Right to own]]
*[[Internet of Things]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Common terms]]

Template:Clippy says

2026-05-26T21:48:28Z

Rudxain: Created page with "<noinclude> '''NOTICE''': this template is in draft state! It's supposed to have an image of Clippit on the left with a speech bubble containing the value of <code>quote</code>. {{#template_params:quote (label=Quote)}} </noinclude><includeonly> {{#template_display:_format=infobox}}</includeonly>"

User talk:Tempo123

2026-05-26T21:24:11Z

Rudxain: /* PERMA-COMPUTE */ new section

==Articles removed==

I wanted to ask about the recent articles you removed from Projects:Archive everything was that already decided or you recently removed it due to you seeing it? or are you secretly Keith? [[User:Im8685|Im8685]] ([[User talk:Im8685|talk]]) 10:19, 17 February 2026 (UTC)

:I removed them after seeing a mention of the CS2 article on discord, so I went and had a look, and saw several deleted articles, and removed them from the list. I just lurk on the discord, <s>idk who keith is</s> oh you mean the admin lol, I wish [[User:Tempo123|Tempo123]] ([[User talk:Tempo123|talk]]) 18:52, 19 February 2026 (UTC)
::Nah you good because I was the one who asked about it and everyone said (except of Keith) "It has not been created yet lol" I was like ok and then Keith after a day replied he will look into it aka fix it so I thought he did it except it was a member like me , Thanks for your contribution bro.. [[User:Im8685|Im8685]] ([[User talk:Im8685|talk]]) 04:59, 24 February 2026 (UTC)
:::Also if you like you can add the Template on my user page to your page if you want... [[User:Im8685|Im8685]] ([[User talk:Im8685|talk]]) 05:00, 24 February 2026 (UTC)

== PERMA-COMPUTE ==

Clippy says:

<blockquote>I see that [https://consumerrights.wiki/index.php?title=User:Tempo123&oldid=52548#:~:text=Permacomputing you're interested in permacomputing]. A user named [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] has [[User:Rudxain/Permacomputing|a page about it]], would you like to read it and maybe send feedback?</blockquote>

<nowiki>:</nowiki>3 [[User:Rudxain|Rudxain]] ([[User talk:Rudxain|talk]]) 21:24, 26 May 2026 (UTC)

User:Rudxain/Louis Bossman

2026-05-26T20:43:14Z

Rudxain: add Humor template, rm redundant text

{{Humor}}
'''Louis Bossman''' is '''[[wikipedia:Louis_Rossmann|Louis Rossmann]]'''<nowiki/>'s secret [[wikipedia:Alter_ego|alter-ego]], kinda like [[wikipedia:Batman|Batman]]. Bossman is a superhuman of the species ''[https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=giga+chad Giga-Chadis]''. He's a vigilante and activist who combats crime beyond what is legally considered "crime", as current laws are incomplete.

Bossman's favorite hobby is to do ''1 push-up'' everytime a corporation does something anti-consumer, that's why his muscles ''have muscles of their own''.

Bossman's side-kick is [[Mr. Clinton the cat|Mr. Clinton the Cat]]. Sadly, because of health conditions, Mr. Clinton has had to retire from combating crime.

Bossman is well known for speaking very fast and heyeverybodyhowsitgoinghopeyourhavingalovelyday, which is his most famous quote.
==DISCLAIMER==
I am not a "glazer" or "D-rider". I wasn't paid to do this. I'm not even close to being Louis' "#1 fan". However, this is also not sarcasm/irony/trolling, I respect Louis like a normal person.

Ideally, this disclosure shouldn't be necessary, but "people" such as [[twitter]]-users and [[Reddit|redditors]] exist

User:Rudxain/Microslop

2026-05-26T20:39:54Z

Rudxain: replace poor-person's notice by Humor template

{{Humor}}
'''[[Microsoft|Microslop]]'''™ ('''M$™''') is a for-profit multinational corporation founded in [[wikipedia:Nineteen_Eighty-Four|1984]] by [[wikipedia:Satya_Nadella|Sloppy Nutella]]™, who also happens to be the CEO™ and [[wikipedia:King_(company)|King]]™ of [[wikipedia:AI_slop|Slop]]™. M$™ is well known for adding [[Backdoor|back-doors]] to [[Microsoft Windows|Winbloats]]™, half of those caused by blatant hopeless negligence and the other thanks to deals with [[wikipedia:Terry_A._Davis#%22Glowies%22|the glowies]]. M$™ takes pride in making [[Bloatware|bloated]] and unstable products, as it makes the shareholders ''really'' happy.

M$™, along with [[OpenAI|ClosedAI]]™, are the pioneers of slop. They are both subsidiaries of [[wikipedia:Big_Brother_(Nineteen_Eighty-Four)|Big Brother LLC]]™.

Website: https://microslop.com/

==External links==

*[https://github.com/4O4-wasd/Microslop A web-browser extension that converts "Microsoft" to "Microslop"]
*[[uncyclopedia:Microsoft_Windows|More info about Winbloats]]™

Data lock-in

2026-05-26T01:57:01Z

Rudxain: indieweb.org/silo

{{Cleanup|Issue 1 = References lack formatting. See [[Template:Cite web]].|Issue 2 = Archive.today may not be used for archival. See [[Projects:Archive_everything#Archival_services]].}}

'''Data lock-in''' limits how device owners can access and manage data stored on the device they own. For example, some mobile applications store user data in a way they can only be viewed from inside the app, with no possibility of creating backups or moving them to external storage to free space. Many social media platforms make it difficult to export data. '''Data portability''' is a more consumer-friendly approach, where it is easy to move data from one application or platform to alternatives.

==How it works==
There are many ways. The most common being:

*"Reverse" {{Wplink|Sandbox (computer security)|sandbox}}: consists of (ab)using sandboxing to prevent the user from accessing their own data. This could be considered as [[malicious compliance]].
*[[Digital rights management|DRM]]
*Proprietary formats
*Encryption

[[Android]] and [[iOS]] both have sandbox mechanisms.<ref>https://source.android.com/docs/security/app-sandbox</ref><ref>https://support.apple.com/guide/security/security-of-runtime-process-sec15bfe098e/web</ref>

==Incidents==
===Saved pages in Samsung Internet===
The mobile web browser by [[Samsung]] stores saved pages in the <code>/data</code> directory. This is a locked-in directory where apps store data only accessible to themselves.

Users have requested Samsung developers to change its browser to store saved pages in a non-locked-in place that makes them accessible from other applications and makes it possible to create backups, or to let users export copies of saved pages, but Samsung refused to implement this change. Some users have stored thousands of web pages this way before realizing they are unable to create backups or move them to external storage.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20250806152342/https://forum.developer.samsung.com/t/regarding-saved-webpages/5304/1 Regarding saved webpages - Samsung Internet - Samsung Developer Forums]</ref>

[[Jailbreak|Rooting]] a device would make the <code>/data</code> folder accessible, but this requires an [[Bootloader unlocking|unlocked bootloader]]. The process of unlocking the bootloader involves a factory reset, which deletes all user-generated files from internal storage.

In comparison, [[Google Chrome]] on mobile stores web pages as MHTML files in the download folder where they are not locked in, and [[Firefox]] on mobile completely lacks a feature to save pages.

===Saved pages in Apple Safari on iPhone===
[[Apple]] refers to saved pages as the "reading list", a name that implies the feature is intended for storing pages only until they are read, not for archival. Like with Samsung, people have asked for an ability to export saved pages. Apple has not responded.<ref>[https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8293638 How do you EXPORT your Reading List from Safari - Apple Community] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20251010130718/https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8293638 archive])</ref>

Unlike Samsung, these pages can be exported manually via a local backup via iTunes, Finder, Apple Devices, or another MobileSync-compatible tool, and Apple allows sharing as a webarchive file or PDF.

===User data in mobile web browsers===
{{See also|Forced cloud}}
No major mobile web browser lets the user export their session (list of opened tabs) and browsing history and bookmarks to a local file. Exporting all tabs may be desirable to start with a fresh session without losing the existing session, and exporting the history makes it easier to search for pages a long time after visiting, beyond what the browser retains.<ref>[https://beepb00p.xyz/sad-infra.html The sad state of personal data and infrastructure] - Karl Icoss ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260203233117/https://beepb00p.xyz/sad-infra.html Archived])</ref>

Some web browsers have a "Sync" feature that allows synchronizing tabs and bookmarks across devices, but it is [[Cloud (service)|cloud]]-based, meaning it depends on an online service that can cease to operate at any time.<ref>[https://karl-voit.at/cloud/ You Can't Control Your Data in the Cloud] - Karl Voit ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260202071758/https://karl-voit.at/cloud/ Archived])</ref><ref>[https://workona.com/pages/how-to-export-chrome-bookmarks/ How to Export Chrome Bookmarks for the Last Time] - Workona ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251126072849/https://workona.com/pages/how-to-export-chrome-bookmarks/ Archived])</ref> Typically, this feature [[Forced account|requires an account]], even though it can be implemented as network-local and anonymous/"guest".

===Text messages===
The built-in text messaging applications of both Android and iOS lack a built-in local export option.

On Android, the third-party app "SMS Backup+" can create exports, but they can not be directly stored locally, only uploaded to the middleman Gmail, which requires Internet connection and a Google account, and can cease to function at any time due to Google API changes.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20250314125929/https://github.com/jberkel/sms-backup-plus/issues/974 Feature request: save to local file · Issue #974 · jberkel/sms-backup-plus · GitHub]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20250313124817/https://github.com/jberkel/sms-backup-plus/issues/1110 SMS -Backup+ unable to log into my email to backup SMS messages · Issue #1110 · jberkel/sms-backup-plus · GitHub]</ref>

On iOS, exporting apps require payment, an external computer, and save as PDF, resulting in much larger files than plain text.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20251111204709/https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255416051?sortBy=rank Export iMessage conversation - Apple Community]</ref><ref>[https://megalodon.jp/2026-0228-1623-45/https://discussions.apple.com:443/thread/255674743?sortBy=rank I want to download my messages to an external drive (flash drive) - Apple Community]</ref>

Chat messages can be archived manually with screenshots and screen recordings, but:

*this takes lots of time and manual work
*the resulting files can not be searched for text (unless {{Wplink|Optical character recognition|OCR}} is applied)
*the resulting files will be much larger in size than a plain-text-based export would be
*[[Screenshot blocking|screen-capturing isn't always an option]]

[[WhatsApp]] lets the user export messages to a text file, but this has to be done for each conversation individually, and starting with an April 2025 update, exporting can be remotely disabled by the other participant.<ref>[https://archive.today/2025.08.28-001731/https://faq.whatsapp.com/715385484388016/?cms_platform=web About advanced chat privacy | WhatsApp Help Center]</ref>

===Android data folder===
Since Android 11, apps can no longer browse the <code>Android/data</code> folder in the shared user storage (not to be confused with <code>/data</code>, which was locked in since the beginning).<ref>[https://developer.android.com/about/versions/11/privacy/storage Storage updates in Android 11 | Android Developers]: If your app targets Android 11, it cannot access the files in any other app's data directory, even if the other app targets Android 8.1 (API level 27) or lower and has made the files in its data directory world-readable ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260130032658/https://developer.android.com/about/versions/11/privacy/storage Archived]).</ref>

===Videos downloaded inside the YouTube app===
[[YouTube]] provides no official way for people to create permanent local copies of videos. This includes Creative Commons media.<ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/L1S0SiBuJN8 Google is Locking Down Android - Mental Outlaw], 07:20</ref> The only exception is YouTube Studio allowing channel owners to download their own videos in up to 720p.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6UHS1-vDMM Changes to Unlisted Videos Uploaded Before 2017], 4:30 ([https://preservetube.com/watch?v=l6UHS1-vDMM Archived])</ref>

While the YouTube app lets paying YouTube Premium subscribers download videos for offline viewing, the videos are only accessible through the YouTube app, encoded in a proprietary format, and forcibly deleted after 29 days.<ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/L1S0SiBuJN8 Google is Locking Down Android - Mental Outlaw], 06:41</ref><ref>[https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7381437 YouTube videos offline FAQs - YouTube Help] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260207132551/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7381437 Archived])</ref><ref>[https://www.virtualcuriosities.com/articles/3383/warning-youtube-premium-downloads-arent-mp4-files Warning: Youtube Premium "Downloads" aren't MP4 Files - Virtual Curiosities] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251126100053/https://www.virtualcuriosities.com/articles/3383/warning-youtube-premium-downloads-arent-mp4-files Archived])</ref><ref>[https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/whats-wrong-with-youtube.html What's Wrong with YouTube - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260216041246/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/whats-wrong-with-youtube.html Archived])</ref>

Permanent local copies are necessary to preserve Internet history when YouTube ceases to operate:
<blockquote>Whenever I tell people that we need to plan for the day when YouTube goes offline, I mostly receive weird reactions. It seems to be the case that people can't think of YouTube being gone. Unfortunately, I'm convinced that most people will face the day when we lose this enormous library of videos.<ref>[https://karl-voit.at/cloud-dependencies/ My Dependencies on the Cloud] - Karl Voit ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260216041319/https://karl-voit.at/cloud-dependencies/ Archived])</ref></blockquote>

===Telekom Entertain media receiver recordings===
The German Telekom, an Internet and Internet Television provider, sells landline Internet television receivers and recorders. A former product line were the "Entertain" Media Receiver 300, 301, 303, and 500. (The 100 and 102 were secondary devices with no internal hard drives. The others had hard drives between 160 and 500 GB.<ref>[https://archive.today/2026.01.27-101349/https://www.telekom-profis.de/vermitteln/news/media-receiver-mr-102-wieder-erhaeltlich-60.html Media Receiver MR 102 wieder erhältlich! - Telekom Profis] (June 2011)</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-6725650 Media Receiver 100] (user manual)</ref><ref>[https://www.woogmedia.de:443/downloads/BDA_MR300.pdf Media Receiver 300 Bedienungsanleitung] (user manual) ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260210175058/https://www.woogmedia.de/downloads/BDA_MR300.pdf Archived])</ref><ref name="MR300">[https://www.hifitest.de/test/stereoanlage-und-komplettanlage/deutsche-telekom-t-home-media-receiver-300-380 Deutsche Telekom T-Home Media Receiver 300] - hifitest.de (June 2009) ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260208092154/https://www.hifitest.de/test/stereoanlage-und-komplettanlage/deutsche-telekom-t-home-media-receiver-300-380 Archived])</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/2026.01.27-101343/https://www.golem.de/1101/80856.html Media Receiver 303: Neuer Festplattenrekorder für Telekom Entertain - Golem.de] (January 2011)</ref><ref name="MR500" />)

Their operating systems were designed in a way that they would not boot without connecting to Telekom servers, and the devices stored the television recordings on their internal hard drive in a proprietary format, and provided the user with no means of copying or moving recordings to external media such as an external flash drive or hard drive, meaning users were forced to delete recordings when running out of disk space. While the devices featured up to two USB ports, some even an eSATA port, they had no use other than supplying electrical power.<ref name="MR500">[https://www.hifitest.de/test/sat-receiver-mit-festplatte/deutsche-telekom-media-receiver-500-sat-6114 Deutsche Telekom Media Receiver 500 Sat] - hifitest.de (June 2012) ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250621145244/https://www.hifitest.de/test/sat-receiver-mit-festplatte/deutsche-telekom-media-receiver-500-sat-6114 Archived])</ref><ref name="MR300" /><ref>[https://telekom.tarife-angebote.de/magenta-zuhause/entertain/media-receiver-empfaenger/mr303-iptv-festplattenrekorder Telekom Media-Receiver 303 (MR303 Festplattenrekorder)] - telekom.tarife-angebote.de ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260127112814/https://telekom.tarife-angebote.de/magenta-zuhause/entertain/media-receiver-empfaenger/mr303-iptv-festplattenrekorder Archived])</ref>

In 2019, its users lost access to all recordings stored locally on the devices when the online service their operating system depended on was shut down. The devices were in service for eight years (since 2011), meaning users would lose access to up to eight years of television recordings.<ref>[https://archive.today/2026.01.27-095619/https://web.archive.org/web/20190825100604/https://www.telekom.com/de/konzern/details/magentatv-loest-entertain-ab-558808 MagentaTV löst Entertain ab | Deutsche Telekom]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210412055921/https://www.onlinekosten.de/news/telekom-zieht-2019-beim-alten-entertain-den-stecker_214313.html Telekom zieht 2019 beim alten "Entertain" den Stecker]</ref>

== Further reading ==

* [https://indieweb.org/silo IndieWeb definition of "Silo"]

==See also==
*[[Enshittification]]
*[[Right to own]]
*{{Wplink|Interoperability}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Common terms]]
[[Category:Theme]]

Data silo

2026-05-26T01:54:20Z

Rudxain: Redirected page to Data lock-in

#REDIRECT [[Data lock-in]]

FUTO

2026-05-26T01:53:46Z

Rudxain: links: self-host, data-lock

{{CompanyCargo
|Description=American organization promoting free computing by developing and sponsoring FOSS projects such as Immich, FUTO Keyboard, and GrayJay.
|Founded=2021
|Industry=Technology
|Logo=Futo header logo.svg
|ParentCompany=
|Type=Private
|Website=https://www.futo.org/
}}
[https://futo.org/ '''FUTO'''] , founded in 2021 by Eron Wolf (a software developer, and noteworthy investor in [[WhatsApp]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-18 |title=The Future of Tech (Bonus Episode) {{!}} Eron Wolf & Richard Hanania |url=https://www.cspicenter.com/p/36-the-future-of-tech-bonus-episode-34f |url-status=live |website=[[Substack]] |publisher=[[Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology]]}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251108041919/https://www.cspicenter.com/p/36-the-future-of-tech-bonus-episode-34f Archived])</ref>), is an organization that develops applications and sponsors FOSS ([[wikipedia:Free_and_open-source_software|free and open source]]) software projects as well as other independent software projects that align with their principles.<ref>https://futo.org/about/what-is-futo/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260204001752/https://www.futo.org/about/what-is-futo/ Archived])</ref><ref>https://futo.org/grants/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260121000641/https://futo.org/grants/ Archived])</ref> FUTO has enabled the development of notable apps, such as Immich, FUTO Keyboard, and GrayJay.

Eron Wolf hired [[wikipedia:Louis_Rossmann|Louis Rossmann]] in 2022 as Director of Community Outreach.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Louis Rossmann |url=https://rossmanngroup.com/louis-rossmann |url-status=live |website=[[Rossman Repair Group]]}} ([https://megalodon.jp/2026-0326-0236-29/https://rossmanngroup.com:443/louis-rossmann Archived])</ref>

[https://keyboard.futo.org/ FUTO Keyboard] is a keyboard app for [[Android]]-based operating systems which offers many modern typing features like localized voice input, swipe typing, and autocorrect, while respecting the purchaser's rights.

FUTO has been criticized for using their own definition of the term "open source"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Dan |date=2024-06-04 |title=Futo, Please don't attempt to create your own Open Source Definition |url=https://danb.me/blog/futo-open-source-definition/ |url-status=live}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251220052400/https://danb.me/blog/futo-open-source-definition/ Archived])</ref> and claiming their applications are "open source", when their license does not meet the [https://opensource.org/osd OSI's definition of the term]. FUTO has since changed their wording.<ref>https://www.futo.org/about/futo-statement-on-opensource/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260206070334/https://www.futo.org/about/futo-statement-on-opensource/ Archived])</ref>

==Organization's objectives & principles==

===Three pledges===

*FUTO's first pledge is to "never sell out. All FUTO companies and FUTO-funded projects are expected to remain fiercely independent." <ref>https://futo.org/about/what-is-futo/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260204001752/https://www.futo.org/about/what-is-futo/ Archived])</ref>
*FUTO's second pledge is to never abuse its customers.
*FUTO's third pledge is to all be devoted to transparency and to making High Quality Open-source software.

===Ethical Capitalism===
FUTO while a legally a C-Corporation for profit company<ref>https://futo.org/about/futo-faq/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251224181938/https://futo.org/about/futo-faq/ Archived])</ref> but as of 2025, according to Louis Rossmann, Director of Community Outreach at FUTO{{Citation needed}} is in no way profitable to it's sole owner & investor Eron Wolf, and their stated financial goal is to operate fiercely independently and "never sell out."

===The Five Pillars of FUTO-ey Software===
1. Source First/Open Source: If people are to have control over the computers in their lives, they must have the capability to inspect and modify the software running on them.

2. Self Manageable Servers (if applicable): Servers should be Source First too. It should be relatively easy for a user to [[Self-hosting|run their own server]] for whatever service their client software needs.

3. Sovereign Identity (if applicable): Servers must allow the user to authenticate with a private/public key pair. Email and phone number authentication is sensible for normies, but it must always be possible for a user to transition to using a sovereign mechanism.

4. Open Databases (if applicable): Crowdsourced content should never be kept [[Data lock-in|hidden in a silo]] by the crowdsourcer. The creator of the content most likely intended for their work to be distributed as widely as possible. The crowdsourcer must provide reasonable mechanisms for the content to be distributed by others.

5. End-to-end Encryption (if possible): Servers should never be able to leverage their man in the middle status to discern the content of communications between their users.

0. Don’t Suck: This applies to all software, FUTO-ey or not. We have accomplished nothing if our software is sluggish, unreliable, or lacks key features. Our clients need to be delightful. Our servers need to help our clients be delightful. <ref>https://futo.org/about/what-is-futo/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260204001752/https://www.futo.org/about/what-is-futo/ Archived])</ref>

==FUTO self managed life guide==
In December 2024, a guide was published as both an extensive wiki article<ref>[https://wiki.futo.org FUTO - Wiki]: [https://wiki.futo.org/wiki/Introduction_to_a_Self_Managed_Life:_a_13_hour_%26_28_minute_presentation_by_FUTO_software Introduction to a Self Managed Life: a 13 hour & 28 minute presentation] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250426195035/https://wiki.futo.org/ Archived])</ref> (as of 2025-04-28T20:45:00 the wiki is not reachable because of a certificate error and HSTS) and a two-part video series.<ref>{{Cite web |author=FUTO |date=6 Dec 2024 |title=FUTO's Guide to a Self Managed Life: part 1 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et5PPMYuOc8 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/futos-guide-to-a-self-managed-life-part-1 |archive-date=12 Dec 2024 |publisher=YouTube |language=en |format=video |ref=selfmanage-part1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=FUTO |date=6 Dec 2024 |title=FUTO's Guide to a Self Managed Life: part 2 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fW9TV1WQi8 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/futos-guide-to-a-self-managed-life-part-2 |archive-date=12 Dec 2024 |publisher=YouTube |format=video |ref=selfmanage-part2}}</ref> It covers topics like setting up your own personal cloud storage for files, shared documents, photos, notes and even contacts. With it, you can run an entire app suite of your own that looks and feels the same as the one you are probably used to, with the benefit that you actually own your data. It also covers topics like creating a smart home, so that you can connect your smart devices and let them work together however you wish. This includes home security/surveillance cameras, for which you can set up alerts and decide where the footage is stored, so that it is just you who can look at the footage. A comprehensive overview of the topics can be found in the table of contents of the wiki article and the timestamps of the video descriptions. It is a very comprehensive guide, and it has been written in a beginner friendly way. Every step of the guide in the wiki has been individually tested and provides explanations with pictures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj6HqWCdk3s|title=the ultimate guide to an open source life, i spent 2 months on this, i hope you enjoy it!!!|date=3 Feb 2025|format=video|publisher=YouTube|language=en|author=Louis Rossmann |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=Gj6HqWCdk3s |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:FUTO]]
[[Category:Pro-consumer articles]]