Post #211674

2026-02-01 21:27 UTC

[Repost] Clean YouTube links. When you get a link from YT, it includes an ID tracking back to YOU. It's a "query string" on the end of the URL like this: ...?si=[tracker_ID_here] This ID allows YouTube (and their owner, Google, and *their* owner, Alphabet, and ALL of their associates) to track the people who click on the link, and the apps they used, back to you, building a network of none-of-their-business. Good news: DELETE the "?si=..." part & the link works just fine without the tracking.

Replies (24)

@tux0r@layer8.space 2026-02-01 23:37

@VisualStuart@pdx.social @franky Thank you! Added ?si to my Clipboard URL Cleaner: https://code.rosaelefanten.org/clipurlcleaner/dir?ci=tip

Open ##211973
@artnacrea@mastodon.ie 2026-02-01 21:43

@VisualStuart@pdx.social I run an extension on the various Firefox instances I use called ClearURLs which cleans those up. I also use NewPipe on my Android phone to view YouTube. It doesn't add those suffixes. There are other options I'm sure.

Open ##2802039
@ingram@mastodon.social 2026-02-01 21:51

@VisualStuart@pdx.social Instagram does the same thing when you share links. Trim that stuff off!

Open ##2802042
@Lorraine@kind.social 2026-02-01 22:33

@VisualStuart@pdx.social So, everything after the =

Open ##2802043
@softicecreamlesley@famichiki.jp 2026-02-01 23:22

@VisualStuart@pdx.social Thank you for explaining what needs to be trimmed and from what point instead of just scolding. 😊

Open ##2802047
@JackMexa4@mastodon.social 2026-02-01 23:29

@VisualStuart@pdx.social You are doing God’s work 🙏🏽

Open ##2802048
@penpencilbrush@mstdn.social 2026-02-01 23:56

@VisualStuart@pdx.social Thank you for posting that. I've been scolded for posting links with trackers, but they've never bothered to give instructions, so I ignored them. No idea what they were talking about. Happy to remove trackers, now that I know what and how.

Open ##2802050
@lach@aus.social 2026-02-02 00:02

@VisualStuart@pdx.social this makes me wonder if it's possible to make the tracking data less useful by adding a random nonsense tracking string to the end of video urls. It's probably cryptographically unlikely to randomly match a real tracking string though.

Open ##2802051
@the5thColumnist@mstdn.ca 2026-02-02 00:13

@VisualStuart@pdx.social Works with links in newsletter as well, particularly ones from media

Open ##2802053
@WastelandWandrr@freeradical.zone 2026-02-02 00:14

@VisualStuart@pdx.social Thanks for the tip! :floofHeart:

Open ##2802054
@GrumpyOldMan65@mastodon.social 2026-02-02 01:00

@VisualStuart@pdx.social I delete everything beyond the actual link needed to get to a website when clicking links on Facebook as well. I'm not going to make Zuckerberg more wealthy through ad clicks.

Open ##2802055
@oberstenzian@mastodon.social 2026-02-02 01:16

@VisualStuart@pdx.social Will do!

Open ##2802056
@kevinrns@mstdn.social 2026-02-02 01:23

@VisualStuart@pdx.social How are YouTube links formed, to embedded the playable video, and not a link. Oh wise one. Please.

Open ##2802057
@lindarosesmit@mastodon.social 2026-02-02 02:10

@VisualStuart@pdx.social use DuckDuckGo

Open ##2802059
@Buford@twit.social 2026-02-02 02:13

@VisualStuart@pdx.social YouTube isn't the only site that appends trackers to its links. I always confirm that I am only posting the actual link.

Open ##2802060
@theorangetheme@en.osm.town 2026-02-02 05:17

@VisualStuart@pdx.social For iOS friends, I've written a shortcut that will remove the surveillance from the URL in the clipboard. I have an icon right next to the YouTube app for this. It makes sharing links on my phone so much easier. Edit: make sure the replace function is set to regex mode.

Open ##2802061
@vosje62@mastodon.nl 2026-02-02 07:26

@VisualStuart@pdx.social don't forget that lot's of other media companies do the same.

Open ##2802068
@assimilateborg@kind.social 2026-02-02 07:32

@VisualStuart@pdx.social delete it before pasting to whatsapp or similar, as those are going to immediately take the link and creating a thumbnail/preview. And so youtube will know and can track. Sometimes, even after editing, the thumbnail retains the tracking ID and all your friends will be tracked as well.

Open ##2802069
@nomenloony@nomenloony.com 2026-02-02 07:54

@VisualStuart@pdx.social better still - change a few characters in the bit after the si and mess with their algorithm. Also works.

Open ##2802070
@dragonfi@social.jsteuernagel.de 2026-02-02 08:25

@VisualStuart@pdx.social Good point. I just copy the URL from the browser bar though.

Open ##2802073
@rootbrian@mastodon.social 2026-02-02 08:44

@VisualStuart@pdx.social I just add "fuckyoutoo" or "suckmeballs" to it. Works every time.

Open ##2802074
@BryanGreyson@social.tchncs.de 2026-02-02 09:52

@VisualStuart@pdx.social As alternative to specific URL addons: You can add this filter to your uBlock Origin filters to remove it for Youtube only: youtube.com##+js(trusted-replace-fetch-response, /[\?&]si\=[\w-]+/g, , youtube.com/youtubei/v1/share/get_share_panel) Important: You need to enable "Allow custom filters requiring trust."

Open ##2802075
@kristinHenry@vis.social 2026-02-02 10:06

@VisualStuart@pdx.social Yes! All you need to share the video is the video id like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61I4hlig78w See that "?v=61I4hlig78w" in that link? That is all you need to share the video, every ? after that is a tracker.

Open ##2802076
@rancholibertad@climatejustice.social 2026-02-02 10:38

@VisualStuart@pdx.social alternative front ends for YT also used to exist that made it so you (and anyone you shared content with) could view things from YT not actually on YT. One was Invidious, and it used to work well but I'm uncertain about if YT has killed those projects, as I haven't used it in maybe a year or so. Would be safer than ever using YT on any personal device, though, so might be worth looking into if anyone on this thread cares to *edit: typo

Open ##2802077