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YouTube is reportedly slowing down videos for Firefox users (Update: Statement)
(www.androidauthority.com)
this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2023
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Unpopular opinion: YouTube has run at a loss for years, yet virtually everyone relies on them for content. It is not greedy to attempt to break even by enforcing the exchange of value the platform is built on. Video creators on the platform also rely on a share of ad revenue to make a living. If you don't like ads, you should pay for premium just like you would for any other video streaming service.
And for the pirates out there, why would you expect YouTube to treat you differently than any other streaming service? If you want to sail the high seas you better download the video and seed torrents, stop vamping off of YouTube's servers. Self host, ye scallywags, lol.
Alternative take: Google have deliberately run the platform at a loss using their vast wealth and market postion to destroy all competition and capture the market. Youtube is now the only viable mass-market facing video hosting platform left and has been for a while. Now they have a de-facto monopoly for the type of content they host, they're trying to monetise the audience. Enshittification has begun.
Perhaps worse they have prevented competition as the business model is basically broken - people now don't want or expect to pay for that kind of video on the internet, nor do they want to watch ads. But maybe Google forcing people to watch ads will rebuild the expectation of paying for what you consume on the internet rather than it all being "free" because you are the product.