The thumbs downs on Yuki's responses are baffling. It is a privacy filter, improving privacy. There is a strong para-social relationship with many younger internet users, so maybe people really do feel strongly about affecting their favorite youtube star's view count? Or it could be youtube creators who are worried. I can't think of any other reasons a user would be on the side of youtube here.

Picking sides is silly. Just don't use YouTube, or pay for it with money or ad time and data.

I'll use it and I'll not pay.

I think, if that was YouTube's goal, they should close their platform tomorrow, and put everything behind a paid login. That would be the honest move. Instead they are trying to sneakily profit from viewers, by sneaking in ads in whatever way possible. They are employing dark pattern after pattern and are extorting "consent". It is entirely reasonable to block their dark patterns and just watch videos without ads. If it bothers them, go ahead, hide everything behind paid access. See how quickly their monopoly will evaporate then.

I’d rather actively hurt their business model, thanks

> There is a strong para-social relationship with many younger internet users, so maybe people really do feel strongly about affecting their favorite youtube star's view count?

100% this. They were even threatening him with facing the ire of social media if he didn't reopen the issue.

This actually makes me feel more confident that it's actually blocking tracking and not caving in to vanity needs.

Right or wrong you don't think it was unduly combative right off the bat? Manners cost nothing.

It’s not how I would have responded either, but people are entitled to their own ways of communicating.