First time this happens to me. With a German protonvpn server.

  • serenissi@lemmy.world
    0·
    27 days ago

    This can be a soft limit where Youtube limits the connection rate so that artificially inflating view count becomes more costly. There are inexpensive ‘services’ especially in India or Pakistan where you can buy human (like a whole internet cafe) view times to your scam video to make it float in suggestions and to promote a channel.

    I don’t work for youtube so it is just a guess.

    • Rusty@lemmy.caEnglish
      0·
      27 days ago

      Unfortunately NewPipe will not help with that. I get this message in a browser and in NewPipe.

      • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de
        0·
        27 days ago

        Have you tried if yt-dlp works? Cuz if that also doesnt, then maybe they actually temporarily blocked your IP?

        I have never gotten this message on yt so cant test it.

        • Rusty@lemmy.caEnglish
          0·
          27 days ago

          Here’s the log from yt-dlp:

          [youtube] Extracting URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR1buRTIKhk

          [youtube] kR1buRTIKhk: Downloading webpage

          [youtube] kR1buRTIKhk: Downloading ios player API JSON

          [youtube] kR1buRTIKhk: Downloading mweb player API JSON

          ERROR: [youtube] kR1buRTIKhk: Sign in to confirm you’re not a bot. This helps protect our community. Learn more

  • disguised_doge@kbin.earth
    0·
    28 days ago

    Been seeing that a fair bit too lately. Freetube, Grayjay, and Newpipe seem so sometimes get around it, even if the error is in the browser the video will sometimes load in those apps from the same IP. If you get lucky and find a working invidious/piped instance that might work too.

    Otherwise, turning on a VPN and switching between servers will usually eventually lead to a working one. That, and if you’re up for it, check to see if your favorite creators are on places like Peertube, Odysee, or Rumble that don’t block IPs like YouTube does.

  • bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
    0·
    28 days ago

    As much as it isn’t preferred, I can usually bypass the sign in shenanigans by going directly to the website to watch something without signing in. I usually only get the login prompt when going through my browser or a search engine.

      • bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
        0·
        28 days ago

        That’s what I mean though, trying to watch any YT video embedded anywhere without being signed in will yield that error, but I usually don’t have that problem on YT’s direct website, even without login. Still ridiculous, but so is Google

  • StarlightDust@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    0·
    27 days ago

    SmartTube, my go-to way to watch, is having issues again today too. I presume it is to make people subscribe to YouTube premium but my first thought was to use Nebula instead.

  • Telorand@reddthat.com
    0·
    28 days ago

    YouTube doesn’t like VPNs. Harder to track you (and sell/monetize your data) if they can’t tell who you are.

    • Skvlp@lemm.ee
      0·
      28 days ago

      I desperately want a viable alternative to come along. There’s a lot of great content on YouTube, but the platform is increasingly being enshitified.

      • Scolding7300@lemmy.world
        0·
        27 days ago

        There’s platforms like Nebula that noticed the decline and also wanted to give creators the freedom to create without needing to deal with an ever changing algorithm

        • Skvlp@lemm.ee
          0·
          27 days ago

          I’ve considered Nebula a few times. That could absolutely be the alternative I’m looking for if they keep adding creators and topics and variety.

          • Scolding7300@lemmy.world
            0·
            27 days ago

            They seemingly are adding more creators. At least the ones I’ve followed. I recently just started contacting creators to ask if they’ve even heard of it and willing to contact so ppl can support them that way.

            Patreon is cool but I don’t want to have a subscription for every creator I like and decide on the amount.

            • toastal@lemmy.ml
              0·
              26 days ago

              None of the creators I follow have LiberaPay or crypto as an option either. I don’t want to pay on a proprietary platform.

            • shneancy@lemmy.world
              0·
              26 days ago

              I think patreon recently add an option for creators to make a free tier. Which on one hand could work, but on the other - we’d be constantly bombarded with “to see this video upgrade to the $10 or more tier” which would personally bum me out

            • Skvlp@lemm.ee
              0·
              27 days ago

              Thanks for doing the legwork, I appreciate the initiative :) I’m guessing that I’ll end up with a Nebula subscription, I just haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

                • Skvlp@lemm.ee
                  0·
                  26 days ago

                  Thanks for the offer, but I’ll support them from day one when I decide to subscribe :) I already know that several creators on Nebula make good content.

        • bleistift2@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          0·
          26 days ago

          LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP $300

          I’m inclined to buy that just because it exists. I hate subscription services so, so much!

          This is the best option if you think you’ll use Nebula for more than 5 years.

      • Peffse@lemmy.world
        0·
        28 days ago

        Youtube does a ton of evil stuff, but this one is more tame. I suspect the VPN was used to bot and got banned, so the sign-in is required to better target where the traffic is allowed to go, instead of blanket banning everybody using the service.

        • kbal@fedia.io
          0·
          28 days ago

          I suspect the VPN was used to bot

          There are plenty of sources, including even in this thread, indicating that that this is not the problem. Quit making excuses for them.

            • kbal@fedia.io
              0·
              27 days ago

              It’s not just you. I’m tired of the whole team of people who are always standing by to bring out similar excuses any time someone decides that in their quest to stop invidious from existing — or whatever google is actually aiming at — it’s acceptable to just mass-block all the VPN users as collateral damage.

              • Peffse@lemmy.world
                0·
                27 days ago

                It’s not an excuse though. It’s right there in the error message.

                Where are people getting the impression I think google is some kind of saint who can do no wrong? I don’t even see the “proof” that is being used to say I’m coming to google’s defense. Just a few anecdotal theories… just like I provided.

                • kbal@fedia.io
                  0·
                  27 days ago

                  Ah, so it’s not you coming up with the stupid excuse that they have legit reasons to think the user might be a nefarious “bot”, you’re just passing along the stupid excuse as you interpret it from the meaningless message direct from Google. That explains where you got the idea that “viewbots” had anything to do with it, I guess.

          • Peffse@lemmy.world
            0·
            28 days ago

            Bot can automate views. It’s why Youtube keeps trying to move towards “engagement”. Comments, likes, etc, all require an account, which is an extra hurdle for bots.

      • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
        0·
        28 days ago

        I agree. We just haven’t gotten to the point quite yet. Where the creators revolt. But that stage should appear somewhat shortly.

          • Crashumbc@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            26 days ago

            There’s nothing “disgusting” about nudity. You should shake off those preconceived cultural biases, you’ll be a better person.

      • pathief@lemmy.world
        0·
        28 days ago

        It’s a gigantic money sink, it’s going to be extremely hard to come up with a profitable (or break even) alternative.

      • hobbsc@lemmy.sdf.org
        0·
        27 days ago

        Third party app without an account maybe? Freetube on the desktop and newpipe on the phone is what I like to use. There’s stuff like grayjay, tubearchivist, and pinchflat as well. Or just go straight yt-dlp.

    • sheogorath@lemmy.world
      0·
      27 days ago

      I go the other way. My youtube account is used across my family. My recommendation is a fucking mess.

      • TranquilTurbulence@lemmy.zip
        0·
        27 days ago

        So, the home page includes Peppa pig videos alongside with gruesome skateboarding accident compilations. Something for everyone!

  • bruhSoulz@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    28 days ago

    Yea, been having this BIGTIME. Even occurs on grayjay, and pipe apps (newpipe, etc.) Its aggravating. Can’t even download vids either, and the ones u have downloaded are held ransom until u turn it off too 😂 at least in my case. Fuck google.

  • zlatiah@lemmy.world
    0·
    26 days ago

    I don’t believe anyone mentioned this yet so… here goes nothing, there is a suspicion that this is due to A/B testing

    This is a bug report from the Invidious project; this is back in June 6 (so four months ago), but the hoster of a fairly large instance noted a very bizarre error message on the Invidious project…

    Conclusion is that Youtube is very likely rolling out A/B testing of requiring all clients to login before viewing videos

    Refreshing will probably work considering this is most likely result of an A/B test, but unfortunately I don’t see a way of this problem going away

  • merthyr1831@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    27 days ago

    It’s a VPN thing. I have a work VPN that gives me the same error on piped API front ends like piped.video

    If I use my regular device without a VPN the alt front ends work fine.