Under what circumstances do you watch Youtube videos or use other google services?

I only occasionally watch Youtube videos because I don't like Youtube tracks everything I do. I never use Google search without a proxy of some sort with tracking cookies disabled...again because I don't like how Google is tracking everything I do. I typically use startpage.com to get my search results with good privacy. Unless I can somehow watch and stream Youtube videos without Google tracking all my searches and viewing activities, I'm not going to be watching Youtube videos very frequently anymore. I watch maybe one or two youtube videos a day and that's only if they are good ones which are worth watching.

I don't mind google knowing that I like to watch certain totally non-suspicious youtube videos, but again, I don't like them tracking all my video usage. Is there a way I can prevent google from tracking my Youtube usage? I heard I need to disable cookies to do so (so in other words, you cannot log into Youtube if you don't wanna get ptracked. Logging in requires cookies so the moment you log in with cookies than you are getting tracked/profiled by Youtube and Google).

How do I anonymously stream youtube videos again? Does anyone have step by step instructions on how to this (I'm not very savvy with computer security btw)? Lastly should I honestly care that Youtube is building a profile of all my youtube usage? Maybe i'm a being a bit too concerned about my online privacy/anti profile building from Youtube. Maybe I should relax and let Google/Youtube build an unique profile of all my youtube usage.

I know a vpn doesn't prevent Google's profile/search history building. It is cookies that track your searches, so I must disable them to watch youtube without getting tracked, am I correct? But I cannot log into youtube without cookies, so I guess I must watch youtube without logging in, in order to prevent profile building.

 

I use them normally, nothing special needed. That is because I treat everything online as part of my public life, and only use VPN+Tor for special occasions.

Basically, anything I want to hide doesn't exist online in my identity, except for unavoidable company & government databases. I'm fine with an online profile that doesn't attract too much negative attention.

 

Good point my friend.

 

VPN + ADBLOCKPLUS + DoNotTrackMe + ADMUNCHER + NoScript. + Disable Cookies. Now you watch YouTube without tracking, as long as your not logged in.

 

I'm always logged in.

 

Then you can dress up as shaft all day long, you lose.

 

I was thinking the same thing the other day, one could add every privacy extension to firefox and VPN even, but all it takes is one login anywhere and all the privacy in the world is lost !

Is it really that important to create 2 profiles one for normal stuff with your normal ISP IP one where you can login to hotmail and check mails and login to check youtube/bank online etc. And then another profile say like above VPN+Tor just to do other stuff ?

Currently I am I guess being stupid since I am always 100% under a VPN but I do login to my bank and hotmail.... I find it tricky to maintain a balance between usability and privacy.

 

I don't watch much YouTube except for one particular subject of whom Youtube seems to be the best source of viewing.

So YouTube knowing I'm a rabid Eddie Hazel fan is all right by me.

I do not, however log in to the service.

 

why would you care if anyone knows you're watching a cute kitty video on youtube? if youre watching a cat on the streets and it is scratching itself, would you mind other peopling seeing you looking at the cat... there's a line between snooping and just knowing a public-not-interesting fact.
and if you care about people knowing you watch prono on web here's a news flash for you, EVERYBODY DOES IT.so trust me no one is keeping a log of your prono watching habits.
now the 3rd concern, youre doing something illegal online cause you thought no one would know? use tor on top of proxy on top of vpn going through tor again, dont sign-in anywhere, use temp emails and run your own email server running on an under ground server in russia paid with bitcoins...oh my hands are tired you know the rest.

 

If you're really that concerned, get a cheap used laptop and use it only with an alternate ID. Never use that computer for anything else. Use a good VPN or Tor or JonDo only with auto-connections so you are never in the clear while on that laptop. You can get incredibly cheap laptops from Craigslist or eBay. It just depends on if your privacy is worth the investment. Trying to alternate ID's on one computer is just setting yourself up for a mistake. For 99% of the people it's not worth it. Only YOU know if it's worth it for YOU.

 

I've disabled cookie, cache, and dom storage. I purge my sandbox religiously between websites. I visit a small handful of sites regularly, so its not as much of an inconvenience. Generally I don't change very much, beyond which free VPN server I connect to and what sites I use the IXQUICK proxy service on. Youtube plays fine for me without advertisements. I never sign-in to youtube.

 

I watch youtube w/o logging in, cookies disabled. What's the advantage of logging in?


----
rich

 

What if you hold a high place in the world, such as president of the united states. If someone logged and can prove you watch homosexual pornography and you are gay, your illusion of being the perfect person is broken. Just as if the republican candidate leaked this info about the democratic candidate, it may sway votes one way or another. The same situation can ruin a normal average Joe's life. It can even be used to blackmail. You sir, are missing the point.

Rich, like Facebook people wish to subscribe to their things and get them served without effort which is why the standard person will log in.

 

And to be able to comment too I assume (not a member myself)

 

I love commenting, 99% of the time nobody cares about your comment and it serves you absolutely no benefit in making a comment, good or bad. Seriously, what is there to gain.

 

Techwiz what is dom storage please?

Woomera ...did you do a typo? ... otherwise what's prono?

 

Pruno

 

@Reality:

Source:
httx://kb.mozillazine.org/Dom.storage.enabled

I recommend you check out this thread:
Firefox - Change These For Better Privacy - Security
httx://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?p=1957831

Additional information on how to clear and/or disable DOM storage.
How to clear and/or disable DOM storage.
httx://webdevwonders.com/clear-dom-storage/

Keep in mind you could break some web functionality. Some flash games on sites like Facebook require cache and dom storage.

There seems to be a YouTube issues going around for some users, including myself. YouTube will crash and/or not cache properly. I've found the following solutions resolve the problem. Firefox's crash report is suppose to kill plugins that take to long. I think it's been prematurely killing flash.

disabled all of the data choice options
located under Firefox options, advanced, data choices.

disable hardware acceleration
located under firefox options, advanced, general
it's under the section labelled browsing.

Alternatively, I've heard if you switch to HTML5 for YouTube using one of the available addons, it's suppose to provide better video performance. I've not tested this yet myself, but it is worth mentioning.

 

Thanks Techwiz, for the explanation. Lately I have been coming across more and more ways to enhance security on FF and every bit helps. I'll be looking at your suggestions. Fortunately I don't do facebook but I do like to watch a few YT movies. However, I REFUSE to join any Google services. I can see the day coming where they will force you to log in to use any of their services. That will be the day I walk away. They have been allowed to get far to big to be healthy. Anyone who wields as much control as google has too much power and corruption and power seem to belong in the same sentence.

Taliscicero, prono not pruno. But, looking at your post quoting woomera looks like my guess was similar to yours.

Woomera, first, it's not the trivial aspect of others knowing what we do on a one off basis but the sum total. As that grows so does the dossier on you reveal that much more. In other words one piece of trivial info on it's own isn't going to reveal much but add it all together, it begins to show a picture. Eventually that picture will be clear enough to enable someone to engage in something like identity theft. Secondly if you meant porno then don't presume everyone fits into your mold of thinking. No we DON'T ALL DO IT... and some of us actually use services like Tor PURELY for the principle that privacy is not only a basic right but is also indicative of a healthy outlook.

 

True.

 

Bingo.