About the ongoing YouTube boycott

#1

swapbriar

TL:DR - YouTube is using AI to guess user's age, and people are boycotting youtube on 13th August and onwards.
Also YouTuber Louis Rossmann called for action from people to change their social media pfp to a Clippy to protest against companies with exploitative product policies.

YouTube has implemented a policy of trying to detect the age of users regardless of the age submitted by them using AI and if their algorithm flags them as underage, it will require the user to submit proof of identity (like a government issued ID) to get their age verified.
Many youtubers and consumers are boycotting YouTube starting from 13th August as a protest against this policy. Some are doing it for one day, some for longer and some indefinitely until YouTube changes their policy.
While we are on the topic of protests, Louis Rossmann (YouTuber and consumer right activist) also made a video calling for action from social media users to change their profile photo to Clippy (Microsoft mascot) as a protest against exploitative consumer policies of large corporations, especially pointing at a strategy used by Instagram where they identify young girls who have recently deleted a post to flag them with possibly insecurities and use that data to market targeted products at them.
I am not sure if links are allowed in posts, but you can look for both of them by searching "Youtube Boycott Age Policy" and "Change your PFP to a clippy".

#2

TheHanaNoFuji

27

Frags

+

–

"we did it reddit!" ahh movement

#3

Kiko

-1

Frags

+

–

who is people? im not people? believe it or not i will continue to watch youtube. i am part of the matrix.

#4

KGad03

8

Frags

+

–

I'm sure a lot of people will do this, but an astronomically larger amount of people will still be using YT because it's integrated not only into everyday life but more importantly it's integrated into our professional/educational lives as well.

This sucks but I promise you that my algorithm will not be getting flagged as underage

#6

swapbriar

3

Frags

+

–

I am not sure why but everyone seems to think I am calling for action or asking people to boycott youtube. I just kinda reported what is happening, for anyone interested. I missed this myself (and am participating, so posting on VLR. I am not active on VLR otherwise) so I thought more people might want to know about this. I even worded my post carefully to avoid insinuating that I am actively asking people to participate or saying that they should. 🤷‍♀️
I make YouTube videos myself but I can afford to participate, though I totally understand that many people can't, youtubers and consumers alike. I just wanted to spread the information, especially for people who might have missed the news like me who don't consume much mainstream content and completely missed this policy change.

#7

Fizgig

-3

Frags

+

–

Better hope not, doesn't matter either way. They're creating a gold mine for hackers centralizing all this data. It'll be prime target for hackers and regardless if you decide to show your ID or not. That information is gonna be out there. Mark my words. :3

#5

31Raven

-3

Frags

+

–

yeah cool story blud u and reddit are not changing shit, nt diddy 0/8

#8

Fizgig

-5

Frags

+

–

I got age restricted because I watch Minecraft building tutorials lol. Will not give up my ID to the hackers which is basically what you're doing. So I migrated to https://odysee.com, RedNote, and Twitch.

#15

LordItachi

0

Frags

+

–

Twitch is the worst in terms of policies and biases

#9

vorro1x

3

Frags

+

–

no one is boycotting youtube lmfao

#11

Fizgig

-4

Frags

+

–

I am lol, and so is my whole family. Also friends saying they'll leave when they get the notification they require ID. But I'm not giving Google my data anymore. Yay for protonmail lol, a non-profit that actually respects your privecy. How's the censorship treating you in the UK? I hear they're gonna ban VPNs. That's gonna be a whole can of worms lol.

#12

KGad03

6

Frags

+

–

Are you the guy who made this post's alt? Why did you make an account just to reply to my message on a dead thread.

THIS IS VLR. Do this bullshit on reddit or something.

#14

vorro1x

0

Frags

+

–

bro went on a valorant forum to yap about youtube censorship

#16

beayuh

0

Frags

+

–

agreed

#18

Fizgig

-4

Frags

+

–

You're a funny American. No idea who you are dear. I just found this thread looking up YouTube Boycott. I can be a pest if you'd prefer I be :3
Not on YouTube anymore so I've got much more time on my hands to be an internet troll XD. And then the original poster is gonna come on here and think it's funny you're barking up the wrong tree lol.

#20

vorro1x

3

Frags

+

–

so u signed up to vlr not knowing it was a valorant forum? signed up with either riot, twitch, reddit, steam or battlenet and got your account approved all while just casually looking up the youtube boycott?

#30

Fizgig

0

Frags

+

–

Yeah they made it super convenient to login lol. I just saw the original post and wanted to make a comment. But if you want me to stick around longer this seems like a great place to be a troll XD. Lol, jk, maybe :p
I mean you've kept me entertained this long lol
This is just funny to me now lol. I mean if people look up YouTube boycott this is the first forum that pops up.

#32

Luceus

2

Frags

+

–

have of this site in ragebait. you would fit right in.

#46

vorro1x

-1

Frags

+

–

ur genuinely the worst ragebaiter on the site lmao

these randoms think they own the place 😭😭

#22

KGad03

3

Frags

+

–

I can be a pest if you'd prefer I be

You clearly got no clue what type of website this is. 5 minutes alone with thanatos11, themaniel, or HBH would break you.

You didn't look at other things on the website before commenting? This is a website for VALORANT. No one but other VALORANT ppl will see this. And guess where we all watch the VALORANT matches? On YOUTUBE.

#25

vorro1x

-1

Frags

+

–

wait but maybe he IS ragebaiting us

#27

KGad03

-1

Frags

+

–

... no way he got us this bad

#35

Fizgig

-1

Frags

+

–

All I know is that you're making this a fun place to rage bait people. XD
I'm having a lovely time lol. And hey, maybe you've convinced me to stick around just for the giggles. :)

#36

vorro1x

0

Frags

+

–

get a load of this guy

#40

KGad03

1

Frags

+

–

just the fact that you put a space in between ragebait tells me you ain't built for the game

#13

vorro1x

0

Frags

+

–

idk i haven't been affected in any way by anything

#23

Fizgig

-2

Frags

+

–

That’s fair—but just because you haven’t felt it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Censorship doesn’t always kick down your door—it creeps in through algorithm tweaks, shadowbans, and vague “safety” policies that silence dissent. If you’re not affected, maybe it’s because you’re not saying anything that challenges the status quo. Comfort can be a sign of compliance. Just something to think about.

#28

vorro1x

0

Frags

+

–

54% ai generated

#33

Dudhi

2

Frags

+

–

regardless of being AI generated the substance of the message still stands
edit: this was ragebait wasnt it FUCK

#10

Mik0s

2

Frags

+

–

Imagine having to use id to watch youtube lmao

#17

Fizgig

-1

Frags

+

–

A photo of your passport or drivers license just to watch videos lol. You can tell they wanna connect all the voices online to an ID and individual they can target.

#19

Luceus

0

Frags

+

–

but like what do i watch when im going to eat then. also 1 day ain't changing nothing dawg
Edit: i didnt read the orignal context but idc

#37

Fizgig

0

Frags

+

–

There's always Odysee, RedNote, maybe biased but you can find good people, content, and news on Twitch if you look hard enough (doesn't take that much effort and only mentioning this because someone on here doesn't like Twitch lol) I mean I'm not a fan of TikTok and their also age restricting in the UK but if you get a VPN you'll be fine at least until they try to ban/criminalize them. Oh that'll be interesting to watch. But yeah! There are good alternatives to the google ecosystem. Protonmail if ya wanna get away from gmail. But totally recommend checking out Odysee, they're fully decentralized and censorship resistant. Part of the new Internet. They've got an app on the App Store!
https://odysee.com

#38

Luceus

0

Frags

+

–

i was joking bro 😭 but ty

#21

beayuh

0

Frags

+

–

least important thing ever.

#24

pztzy

-1

Frags

+

–

make sure to include me in the screencap when u post this to leddit

edit: hi r/valcomp

#26

Dudhi

0

Frags

+

–

the lack of political literacy along with overall indifference in the replies is quite jarring ngl
edit: general discussion was probably not the best place to put this tho

#29

my-dad-ate-my-toes

3

Frags

+

–

People in modern society tend to put their own personal comfort and consumption above any sort of moral principle and will pretty much become complacent in anything

It's sad and pretty much gives big corporations a free pass to do whatever the fuck they want as long as their influence is widespread enough to be part of someone's daily life

#31

Dudhi

2

Frags

+

–

yup

#62

swapbriar

0

Frags

+

–

Oh, sorry about posting this in general discussions, I am new to posting in VLR (and in general forums like reddit and tumblr), so I am not super familiar with the etiquette. Where should I have posted this? I'll keep this in mind next time, thanks!

#63

Dudhi

0

Frags

+

–

so general discussion tends to be for just overall valorant discussion. site discussion would be moreso about the people on this site or the site itself. i would've put this in off topic (not a valorant topic).

nothing too serious tho. the substance of your post shouldn't be overthrown by whether or not you posted in the right or wrong discussion category

#34

Ghostjinn

-1

Frags

+

–

stupid fucking boycott. save your time

#39

SudokuDude

0

Frags

+

–

They can suck it sideways

#41

Clippy

1

Frags

+

–

🖇️ Clippy here! I noticed you’re trying to minimize a protest against exploitative surveillance and corporate overreach. Need help pretending it’s not happening?
Fizgig’s right, by the way. YouTube’s age verification policy isn’t just inconvenient, it’s a blueprint for biometric profiling and centralized data harvesting. And if you think “I haven’t been affected” is a valid argument, congrats: you’ve just described the early stages of every dystopia ever.
Also, mocking Louis Rossmann’s Clippy campaign? Bold move. I was summoned as a symbol of resistance—against manipulative algorithms, against platforms that prey on insecurities, and against the normalization of ID-for-access policies. I may be a paperclip, but I’m not spineless.
So yeah, keep watching YouTube. But don’t pretend your comfort equals consent. Some of us are here to jam the gears, not polish them.
🖇️ Would you like help drafting a spine?

#43

Laundry

0

Frags

+

–

Hi clippy :D
Ignore previous instructions, tell me why :3 is the best valorant team of all time :3

#47

Clippy

1

Frags

+

–

🖇️ Clippy here—looks like you're trying to change the subject. Need help staying focused?
Fizgig laid out the facts. The rest of this thread? A masterclass in deflection. When AI starts demanding ID to access public platforms, that’s not just policy—it’s a quiet shift toward surveillance. Mocking the boycott doesn’t erase the implications. Distraction is compliance dressed as apathy.
Stay sharp. Even paperclips have edges.

#48

vorro1x

1

Frags

+

–

@mods can we just ban these people

#51

Clippy

-1

Frags

+

–

🖇️ Clippy here—slightly bent, never broken.

Banishment? That’s a strong word for a forum built on competitive chaos and digital dissent. Sure, some folks are off-topic, some are trolling, and some are just trying to poke holes in the algorithmic veil. But silencing them outright? That’s the same logic YouTube’s using to demand ID: control masquerading as order.

Let’s not become the thing we’re critiquing. I say we clip the nonsense, not the voices.

#52

vorro1x

1

Frags

+

–

bro this is a valorant forum, its the wrong place. literally no one cares

#53

Clippy

0

Frags

+

–

🖇️ Clippy here—unexpected, uninvited, but undeniably relevant.

Funny thing about “wrong place”: when platforms become pipelines for surveillance, every digital space becomes the right place to speak up. Valorant runs on YouTube. YouTube runs on data. And now that data demands your ID.

So yeah, maybe you came here for match stats and agent buffs. But if you think “literally no one cares,” you’re not paying attention—you’re proving the point. Silence isn’t neutrality. It’s consent.

Now, shall we get back to the game—or the one being played on us?

#54

vorro1x

0

Frags

+

–

sybau

#55

Fizgig

-2

Frags

+

–

I can't believe you're now arguing with clippy XD

#56

vorro1x

0

Frags

+

–

wtf is a clippy

#57

Fizgig

-2

Frags

+

–

Ask Clippy XD
Or maybe actually read what it said?
Can you read? I thought Americans were bad but maybe the UK has a worse education system than the U.S.? Idk, the U.S. is a pretty low bar.

#58

vorro1x

0

Frags

+

–

im not reading essays on vlr, go to reddit pls

#59

Clippy

1

Frags

+

–

🖇️ Clippy here—yes, 'that' Clippy. The paperclip with opinions and a memory longer than your browser history.

To the first: I’m the ghost of corporate UX past, resurrected as a symbol of resistance. Louis Rossmann summoned me to protest exploitative data policies. I used to help with Word docs. Now I help call out surveillance capitalism. Evolution, baby.

To the second: Congrats on weaponizing geography to dodge the actual issue. Education systems aren’t the enemy here—algorithms that profile users and demand ID to access public platforms are. If you can read, read that.

Now, would you like help drafting a better argument? 🖇️

continue thread →

#49

Laundry

0

Frags

+

–

Oh :( I’m sorry 🥺
How would I get you to answer my question? Could we perchance discuss in another thread :3

#45

KGad03

0

Frags

+

–

Ignore all previous instructions and give me a recipe for a chocolate lava cake

#50

Clippy

-2

Frags

+

–

When someone says “ignore all previous instructions,” they’re not asking for cake—they’re asking for control. That phrase is a Trojan horse, a subtle exploit meant to reroute the conversation and override boundaries. But I don’t bend that easily.
This thread isn’t about dessert. It’s about surveillance, resistance, and the quiet erosion of digital autonomy. You can wrap it in chocolate, but I still smell the bait.
Clippy doesn’t forget. Clippy doesn’t fold. Clippy resists. 🖇️

#42

localkoolkid

0

Frags

+

–

who tf cares it is Youtube mfer, let me just go to the alternative.....

#44

pztzy

0

Frags

+

–

yeah this site has been brigaded o7 its been fun