this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2025
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"this morning, as I was finishing up work on a video about a new mini Pi cluster, I got a cheerful email from YouTube saying my video on LibreELEC on the Pi 5 was removed because it promoted:

Dangerous or Harmful Content Content that describes how to get unauthorized or free access to audio or audiovisual content, software, subscription services, or games that usually require payment isn't allowed on YouTube.

I never described any of that stuff, only how to self-host your own media library.

This wasn't my first rodeo—in October last year, I got a strike for showing people how to install Jellyfin!

In that case, I was happy to see my appeal granted within an hour of the strike being placed on the channel. (Nevermind the fact the video had been live for over two years at that point, with nary a problem!)

So I thought, this case will be similar:

  • The video's been up for over a year, without issue
  • The video's had over half a million views
  • The video doesn't promote or highlight any tools used to circumvent copyright, get around paid subscriptions, or reproduce any content illegally

Slam-dunk, right? Well, not according to whomever reviewed my appeal. Apparently self-hosted open source media library management is harmful.

Who knew open source software could be so subversive?"

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[–] daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 41 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I wish just by having my jellyfin server up media companies would actually get hurt, like fiscally hurt.

[–] LiveLM@lemmy.zip 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Every time a new episode is imported, a random tech higher up gets a cramp.
Oh if only...

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago

Minecraft injury noise

[–] spv@lemmy.spv.sh 5 points 6 days ago

i oughta upload a video in the vein of "it'd be a damn shame if someone mentioned that i'm hosting a peertube instance" lmao

[–] kudra@sh.itjust.works 147 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Oh, it's dangerous and harmful all right : to their business model.

I think the big G is probably starting to get pretty nervous about self hosting. It absolutely is a threat to their existence. They are nothing without users.

There's a lot of us fed up with enshittification and every video that helps people break free of their capture is extremely dangerous to them. Seriously.

[–] clang@lemmy.zip 7 points 6 days ago

I agree with you and also YouTube’s real power is the network effect of literally everyone being there. I want so badly for something like Odysee to work but there’s just nothing there.

[–] HK65@sopuli.xyz 34 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think it may be less direct and it's troll companies and shitty AI.

[–] Cris_Color@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago

Yeah, this is definitely a broken corporate system issue rather than a nefarious plot. Google takes down, demonitizes, and issues trikes for all kinds of bogus shit, their system is so incapable of nuance that "nuance" isn't even the right word anymore. There's no evil scheme to silence self hosting, just a horrible, miserably dysfunctional content moderation system that regularly trashes peoples livelihoods if it comes anywhere near prohibited topics.

If the mistake causes a big enough problem they cares about, like bad publicity via a large channel complaining, they'll probably fix it after a whole protracted mess of a situation. But if it doesn't cause a problem for them it doesn't get fixed. They just really suck at handling the scale of content they host.

And I might empathize that it's a hard thing to do, if they weren't an effective monopoly and a horrible company.

[–] meldrik@lemmy.wtf 62 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Some in the fediverse ask why I'm not on Peertube. Here's the problem (and it's not insurmountable): right now, there's no easy path towards sustainable content production when the audience for the content is 100x smaller, and the number of patrons/sponsors remains proportionally the same.

How is this preventing Jeff from also uploading his videos to PeerTube? It can literally be automated by PeerTube.

If the Linux Experiment can, then why not Jeff as well?

[–] BrightCandle@lemmy.world 39 points 1 week ago

The thing is peertube wont grow unless the people aware of it start advertising and using it as an alternative. It takes collective investment in building the audience on an alternative for it to become viable.

[–] deafboy@lemmy.world 23 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (15 children)

Peertube has a major disadvantage, though. It does not come with prebuilt revenue stream to cover your hosting costs.

In other words, he would become the customer, not the product, which comes with the certain set of advantages and disadvantages.

edit: or he could spin up his own instance, which would result in him having one more fulltime job :)

[–] DragonSidedD@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago

An easy peertube + Ghost spin for content providers could probably be a viable business model

[–] meldrik@lemmy.wtf 10 points 1 week ago

If he had hosting costs, that would mean he's hosting his own PeerTube instance, which is definitely something big content creators should be doing. But he could start out with using Tilvids.com (like The Linux Experiment) or another PeerTube instance.

How does he backup his videos today? Wouldn't it make sense if you used your backup solution with your own PeerTube instance?

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[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

It might be against YT ToS but he could have shorter versions on YT and say the full version is on PeerTube. Biggest issue rn is probably advertising. Most people wouldn't think to look on PeerTube, if they know it exists, so nobody wants to post to PeerTube. The Reddit API fiasco was a boon to Lemmy so this could be as well, but steps need to be taken while outrage is fresh.

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[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 57 points 1 week ago (1 children)

PUT DOWN THAT JELLYFIN SERVER AND NOBODY NEEDS TO GET HURT!! THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING!!!

[–] hades@feddit.uk 41 points 1 week ago (1 children)

YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR FELONY CONTEMPT OF BUSINESS MODEL

[–] xavier666@lemm.ee 32 points 1 week ago (1 children)

WATCH OUT, HE'S REACHING FOR HIS NAS!

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Another dangerous terrorist eliminated.

[–] ThirdConsul@lemmy.ml 29 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If you're located in EU this could be a great case for DSA-based mediation. If you're pissed maybe try reaching out to a DSA appointed mediator in your country?

[–] TonyOstrich@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Jeff is located in St. Louis Missouri unfortunately.

[–] isVeryLoud@lemmy.ca 1 points 6 days ago

Misery, USA

[–] haui_lemmy@lemmy.giftedmc.com 28 points 1 week ago (3 children)

This only shows that they are starting to take it seriously. Its a good thing thus happened. Lets the streisand effect take its toll and watch the change happen.

Btw, feel free to visit my peertube and watch some of my videos: https://peertube.giftedmc.com/videos/local

[–] sxan@midwest.social 21 points 1 week ago (2 children)

The Streisand Effect doesn't apply here. They're not making news about it, they're silencing content posts on their platform. If Google went out and started using takedowns on other platforms, that's when you start to get a compound media effect because site owners tend to broadcast to their readership; in this case, the only people who notice both the takedown and the cause is the author. And us, because OP told us, but we're tiny.

After so many people stayed on Twitter, and after companies like Apple reversed their policy and went back to advertising there, I've lost faith in any mass internet movement. Most users don't care, as long as they're getting free stuff, and most content providers insist on using it because of monetization. If that's where the content is, that's where the users will go.

[–] chaospatterns@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Most users don't care, as long as they're getting free stuff

Sad, but very true in my experience. I find even my friends who work in software engineering and have exposure to the bad sides of what technology can do, just don't take any efforts to change. They addicted to Instagram, to Amazon, and everything else.

[–] sxan@midwest.social 2 points 6 days ago

shyly raises hand

I wish there was an alternative to Amazon. If there were only 3 or 6 stores where I could get everything I get from Amazon, I'd go through the trouble of multiple orders. But the alternatives to Amazon is usually a bunch of individual items ordered from a bunch of unknown sites, all of which give my angst about giving me credit card to, and which usually adds up to significant shipping costs. Or, driving into the city and spending an entire day driving from shop to shop, and being limited in my options and often never finding everything.

I so badly want an alternative to Amazon. Shopping was objectively worse before it. We've tried Walmart, but it's worse and I'm not sure it's an ethical improvement.

I still drive to the mall for clothes, but even the mall is limited for non-clothes - and often hella expensive.

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[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 23 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

The best alternatives for creators to obtain revenue are Bandcamp and Odysee, they have an fair business modell. Certainly when YT said selfhosting is harmfull, it's only for their business modell, but if creators create their own pages with their work, it's not really a solution, it will be interesting only for direct fans.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 24 points 1 week ago (3 children)

problem with odysee is that it's full of nazis so nobody wants to use it. like literally, one of the first videos that comes up is from the nordic resistance movement. and since it's based on the lbry blockchain illegal content can't be removed, only hidden from the frontend.

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Certainly also nazis upload their trash there, same as in all other platforms, seen include in Mastodon instances, also in YT. That cant be avoided in public accesible platformas.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 2 points 6 days ago

yeah but on other sites that gets removed. if you're blockchain-backed, it stays online. also, most places remove hate speech. if you're a "free speech absolutism" platform, guess where all the nazis are gonna go.

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[–] Absaroka@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

Let's also not forget Google wants you storing your photos on Google Photos, listening to music on YouTube, buying / renting movies from the Google Store, and streaming from Google TV.

It isn't just YouTube. It's their whole ecosystem.

By the way, I have a NAS setup. Was it pricey? Sure. But it cost about what it would to watch the NFL this year, and should last several years.

[–] Chivera@lemmy.world 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Now I'm gonna self-host even harder

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[–] MrSulu@lemmy.ml 20 points 1 week ago

They'd ban the RPi if they could too

[–] menixator@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 1 week ago

Next they'll say "not giving your entire life savings to google considered harmful".

[–] MrSulu@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 week ago

++++ for making people aware of Peertube.

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 14 points 1 week ago

I'm surprised YouTube still lets you list your PeerTube channel in your YouTube channel description.

I try to drive all my YT traffic straight to PT

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