YouTube-dl can no longer download age-restricted videos • Hacker News Board

Re: YouTube-dl can no longer download age-restricted videos

#41

Post by scandinavian » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 2:18 PM UTC

spentu wrote: post #22

I noticed this yesterday and now I am wondering what to do. Especially when more and more videos are getting flagged. ID is out of the question, credit card seems more plausible. However, i wonder what happens when you give the number. I don't want that it sticks after validation...

According to google ID cards are deleted after age has been proven, but for some reason they might keep credit card information.

>Important: If you enter your credit card info for age verification, Google will retain this data as necessary to meet legal and regulatory requirements.

Must be because of audit laws relating to processing credit cards.

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/10071085?p=age-ve...

Re: YouTube-dl can no longer download age-restricted videos

#42

Post by gruez » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 2:19 PM UTC

buggeryorkshire wrote: post #26

toto444 wrote: post #14

A few days ago, I clicked an age restricted video on Youtube and usually I just state that I am above 18 but now they ask for a credit card number or an identity card to prove it. I am not going to send this just to watch some random video clip that users have declared not appropriate to a young audience because it features a zombie. Seriously!

I had that too. A 14 year old account, with Google Cloud and Google One billing, plus many Google Store purchases and they still wanted me to prove my age. WTF?

That totally makes sense from a software engineering point of view. The age check was probably implemented as a "verified_age" column somewhere, and they didn't bother backfilling it with your existing google account info.

Re: YouTube-dl can no longer download age-restricted videos

#43

Post by jeroenhd » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 2:20 PM UTC

toto444 wrote: post #14

A few days ago, I clicked an age restricted video on Youtube and usually I just state that I am above 18 but now they ask for a credit card number or an identity card to prove it. I am not going to send this just to watch some random video clip that users have declared not appropriate to a young audience because it features a zombie. Seriously!

AFAIK the age restriction credit card thing (inside the EU) is the result of some stupid law change (the Audiovisual Media Services Directive). Google probably doesn't want to validate users' age (because selling ads to impressionable kids is very lucrative) but they have to now.

Re: YouTube-dl can no longer download age-restricted videos

#44

Post by ljm » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 2:21 PM UTC

toto444 wrote: post #14

A few days ago, I clicked an age restricted video on Youtube and usually I just state that I am above 18 but now they ask for a credit card number or an identity card to prove it. I am not going to send this just to watch some random video clip that users have declared not appropriate to a young audience because it features a zombie. Seriously!

I had this happen with the old "Ah fuck, I can't believe you've done this" video.

I'm not sure why exactly that has an age restriction, or why I'd give Google some ID to watch a vintage Youtube meme. I presume it's because their ML detected 'fuck' in the audio.

Note to Google: Ah fuck, I can't believe you've done this.

Re: YouTube-dl can no longer download age-restricted videos

#45

Post by retSava » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 2:22 PM UTC

gruez wrote: post #42

buggeryorkshire wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had that too. A 14 year old account, with Google Cloud and Google One billing, plus many Google Store purchases and they still wanted me to prove my age. WTF?

That totally makes sense from a software engineering point of view. The age check was probably implemented as a "verified_age" column somewhere, and they didn't bother backfilling it with your existing google account info.

Absolutely, but for one of the largest sites on the web, served by one of the richest companies on the planet, being the one company knowing the most about me (and billions more) compared to other companies, and Youtube being probably one of the most profitable sites on the web too, I do expect better.

Re: YouTube-dl can no longer download age-restricted videos

#46

Post by swiley » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 2:22 PM UTC

toto444 wrote: post #14

A few days ago, I clicked an age restricted video on Youtube and usually I just state that I am above 18 but now they ask for a credit card number or an identity card to prove it. I am not going to send this just to watch some random video clip that users have declared not appropriate to a young audience because it features a zombie. Seriously!

You work so hard explaining to your friends good infosec practice like not just typing their credit card in because some site wants to "verify their age" and then Google and Apple just go and fuck around with stuff like this.

At this point the best advice you can give your friends is "stay the fuck away from computers unless you're willing to sit down and read a bunch of FOSSS manuals."

Re: YouTube-dl can no longer download age-restricted videos

#47

Post by PostThisTooFast » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 2:23 PM UTC

gruez wrote: post #42

buggeryorkshire wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had that too. A 14 year old account, with Google Cloud and Google One billing, plus many Google Store purchases and they still wanted me to prove my age. WTF?

That totally makes sense from a software engineering point of view. The age check was probably implemented as a "verified_age" column somewhere, and they didn't bother backfilling it with your existing google account info.

It's still shitty programming that inconveniences the user.

Re: YouTube-dl can no longer download age-restricted videos

#48

Post by spentu » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 2:24 PM UTC

booleandilemma wrote: post #29

spentu wrote: post #22

I noticed this yesterday and now I am wondering what to do. Especially when more and more videos are getting flagged. ID is out of the question, credit card seems more plausible. However, i wonder what happens when you give the number. I don't want that it sticks after validation...

Would it be worth it to just get a credit card for the sole purpose of youtube-dl? Maybe put some kind of limit on it, if possible?

Long time ago I remember reading about some service, that allows using single use credit cards. Last year I was looking for it, as many services cannot ne trusted with this information. But I could nothing like it. Maybe I was just dreaming...

Getting a legit card like that could be possible, but I don't think its worth of hassle and possible costs. Some companies practically throw these cards on you, but usually there is a catch.

Re: YouTube-dl can no longer download age-restricted videos

#49

Post by swiley » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 2:25 PM UTC

bencollier49 wrote: post #34

I've found YouTube increasingly unusable in general over the last few months. It seems to be pushing absolute rubbish at me. There's a gap in the market for a music-only video service.

>music-only video service

I'm not sure how that isn't soundcloud/spotify.

Re: YouTube-dl can no longer download age-restricted videos

#50

Post by macintux » Tue, Jun 01, 2021, 2:25 PM UTC

bencollier49 wrote: post #34

I've found YouTube increasingly unusable in general over the last few months. It seems to be pushing absolute rubbish at me. There's a gap in the market for a music-only video service.

Given the glut of music streaming services, it seems unlikely to me someone could make money trying to compete with all of those and YouTube simultaneously.