From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-10

On Thu, 26 Jun 2025 08:33:27 +0100, Andy Burns wrote :

You tube insists I sign in for membership before I can see a video.

Any videos, or one specific (possibly age barred) video?

On Android, I use NewPipe (https://newpipe.net) which doesn't
ask for you to sign in but on Windows, things are very different.

On Tue, 19 Aug 2025 23:35:12 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote :

Someone reported a similar problem maybe a month ago [...] Yes, at alt.comp.software.firefox, in June. "Re: Can't use Youtube any more"

I'm extremely familiar with the problem that the OP described.
And I *never* log into a Google Account using any web browser.

At the time it started (months ago), we were told that Google had
too many bots so they implemented a selective method of requiring signin.

I never sign in but I can only get away with that using some browsers
and using some IP addresses and using some VPN obfuscators, etc.

SO, it's the classic YMMV situation.
But I get it a LOT so I agree with the OP's initial post.

It definitely happens in many situations (more often than not).
It's roughly about 80% or about 90% of the situations in my experience.

This happened when Google changed things due to bots a few months ago.
It was publicized in the war channel I frequent (see below).
Because that war channel started requiring you to prove you're an adult.

Here's my 10-step way to reproduce the problem, or to work around it:
1. Choose an IP address (some of us have VPNs & some have SOCKS proxies)
2. Choose a web browser (some have proxies & vpn extensions)
3. Make sure you are NOT logged into Google by any means whatsoever
4. Make sure you have no cookies or saved data either of any type
5. Go to <https://www.youtube.com/>
6. You should see "Try searching to get started" and below that
"Start watching videos to help us build a feed of videos you'll love."
7. If you see anything other than an almost blank page, repeat #3 & #4
8. Search for "Denys Davydov" (which is adult war material about Ukraine)
<https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=denys+davydov>
9. Click on the latest war report (there's a new report every day)
10. Depending on #1 and #2 and #3 above, I get one of two results:
a. Sign in to confirm you're not a bot
This helps protect our community. Learn more
Sign in
b. Or, it just plays.

My results?
A. Most browsers & most IP addresses will NOT play the video.
B. Some browsers & some IP addresses DO play the video.

This is the classic YMMV.
Your results depend on what Google thinks is a potential bot.

This has been the case for many months now.
So it's not new.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-10

On Tue, 19 Aug 2025 22:20:59 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote :

On Thu, 26 Jun 2025 08:33:27 +0100, Andy Burns wrote :

You tube insists I sign in for membership before I can see a video.

Any videos, or one specific (possibly age barred) video?

On Android, I use NewPipe (https://newpipe.net) which doesn't
ask for you to sign in but on Windows, things are very different.

On Tue, 19 Aug 2025 23:35:12 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote :

Someone reported a similar problem maybe a month ago [...] Yes, at alt.comp.software.firefox, in June. "Re: Can't use Youtube any more"

I'm extremely familiar with the problem that the OP described.
And I *never* log into a Google Account using any web browser.

At the time it started (months ago), we were told that Google had
too many bots so they implemented a selective method of requiring signin.

I never sign in but I can only get away with that using some browsers
and using some IP addresses and using some VPN obfuscators, etc.

SO, it's the classic YMMV situation.
But I get it a LOT so I agree with the OP's initial post.

It definitely happens in many situations (more often than not).
It's roughly about 80% or about 90% of the situations in my experience.

This happened when Google changed things due to bots a few months ago.
It was publicized in the war channel I frequent (see below).
Because that war channel started requiring you to prove you're an adult.

Here's my 10-step way to reproduce the problem, or to work around it:
1. Choose an IP address (some of us have VPNs & some have SOCKS proxies)
2. Choose a web browser (some have proxies & vpn extensions)
3. Make sure you are NOT logged into Google by any means whatsoever
4. Make sure you have no cookies or saved data either of any type
5. Go to <https://www.youtube.com/>
6. You should see "Try searching to get started" and below that
"Start watching videos to help us build a feed of videos you'll love."
7. If you see anything other than an almost blank page, repeat #3 & #4
8. Search for "Denys Davydov" (which is adult war material about Ukraine)
<https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=denys+davydov>
9. Click on the latest war report (there's a new report every day)
10. Depending on #1 and #2 and #3 above, I get one of two results:
a. Sign in to confirm you're not a bot
This helps protect our community. Learn more
Sign in
b. Or, it just plays.

My results?
A. Most browsers & most IP addresses will NOT play the video.
B. Some browsers & some IP addresses DO play the video.

This is the classic YMMV.
Your results depend on what Google thinks is a potential bot.

This has been the case for many months now.
So it's not new.

On Wed, 20 Aug 2025 02:25:13 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote :

It definitely happens in many situations (more often than not).
It's roughly about 80% or about 90% of the situations in my experience.

Well, I have never logged into Google (or youtube) in my default
browser, and I have never been asked by youtube to login. I don't try to hide, either.

Of course, there are phones in the house where I'm logged in, and there
is another browser in which I'm logged in. They might find out I am the
same person, but that would show.

Thanks for bringing a different datapoint up in this youtube bot issue.

A great reason to start the way I described is everyone starts the same. There's no connection whatsoever to Google starting the way I did.

Still, Google is like Amazon Vine, where their algorithms are unknowable. Still, I can generally control the common bot failures to get a success.

Below are some screenshots I made today showing the whole process.
a. First, there's nothing at the youtube page
b. Then I fail because youtube thinks I'm a bot
c. Then I flip a few switches & youtube thinks I'm not a bot

Each time, I tweak the conditions which I've learned over time how to do.
<https://i.postimg.cc/rpyFGJx9/Clipboard-08-19-2025-01.jpg> get started
<https://i.postimg.cc/8cv1kngT/Clipboard-08-19-2025-02.jpg> enter search
<https://i.postimg.cc/ry4crb7k/Clipboard-08-19-2025-03.jpg> enter channel
<https://i.postimg.cc/3wWQJb2z/Clipboard-08-19-2025-04.jpg> you're a bot
<https://i.postimg.cc/YqcrDkQ0/Clipboard-08-19-2025-05.jpg> modify bits
<https://i.postimg.cc/9fxXL7BH/Clipboard-08-19-2025-06.jpg> reject all
<https://i.postimg.cc/QC2R6XP3/Clipboard-08-19-2025-07.jpg> you're no bot

Notice in the same session, I'm a bot, and I'm not a bot, all depending
on what I do with the browser settings and which Google seems to look at.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2