this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2025
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Google just broke all third-party YT clients, including yt-dlp; a full JS implementation is now required. (github.com)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by DFX4509B_2@lemmy.org to c/technology@lemmy.world
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.org/post/1872634

So, starting now, Google started mandating full JS for YT, effectively breaking all third-party clients and locking the site to their official client.

This reeks of DRM.

UPDATE: Installing Deno and installing yt-dlp through PyPi fixes yt-dlp but the very idea that Google is mandating JS to lock down YT in an attempt at pseudo-DRM is still crappy.

UPDATE #2: inv.nadeko.net is working again for now.

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[โ€“] DFX4509B_2@lemmy.org 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

Well, if they want to make everyone either buy Rokus or watch YT either in Edge on Windows (the official way to watch Netflix on PC currently) or on another Android device than a Roku with the official YT app, they could just implement a full Widevine L1 lockdown, and sadly, just buying a Roku to watch YT on or watching it on a pre-existing Roku along with the paid streaming services, is probably what most people would actually do if they locked it down like that.

Basically, Google would win the ad blocker and third-party front-end war by locking YT into pre-approved apps or devices, and as an added bonus (for them), they'd snuff out any competing platforms as Widevine L1 would also kill the ability to mirror one's YT channel to one of the alternative platforms, and I guarantee most people who just post any random thing on YT don't store their source video files locally to be able to to re-upload on PeerTube, Odysee, or Rumble, if anything, they're likely just filming and posting straight from their phones.

Now, the people with nice studio setups probably do have a local copy of their source files stored somewhere that they could re-up on their alternative platform of choice, but average Joes filming from a phone outnumber them.

[โ€“] Magnum@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 hour ago

You know YouTube Revanced?