Watching YouTube Without YouTube Watching Me
<p>I was messing about and I <a href="https://myactivity.google.com/product/youtube?hl=en" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">changed one setting</a> that both breaks and fixes YouTube. If you delete your old history and turn off Watch History (buried in <a href="https://myactivity.google.com/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">myactivity.google.com</a>, under Data & Privacy), the algorithm just stops working. It breaks the user experience so much that the Home page just goes blank. A blissful nothing. Nothing to tempt or distract you, no recommendations. It’s incredibly boring and thus quite liberating.</p>
<p>You can still watch videos, but the videos can’t watch you. YouTube cannot glean that you’re the type of person who will watch every available clip from Succession without ever watching the show. Or whatever you’re into, even if you don’t know it. YouTube will never be able to maximize your wasted time, to sell you more get-rich-quick schemes or soap.</p>
<p><a href="https://indica.medium.com/watching-youtube-without-youtube-watching-me-478035a34673"><strong>Learn More</strong></a></p>
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