If you’re tired of sacrificing privacy in your quest for entertainment, it’s time to ditch YouTube and switch to a new streaming platform.Â
Ok, time for real talk; Google is watching you. Every time you open YouTube and search for those cat videos you can’t get enough of, Google tracks your habits and collects your data, all in an effort to create a more customized streaming experience. While that may sound great on the surface, it means you are sacrificing your privacy in exchange for entertainment.Â
As crazy as it sounds, collecting your data and even sharing it with third-party partners is completely legal and encouraged for marketing purposes, which explains why you always seem to get targeted ads when you search for something on Google. “Ok,” you may be thinking, “that’s not good, but I’ve used YouTube for years; why should I ditch it in favor of another streaming alternative?” Good question!
- Google Wants Your Data which it acquires through platforms like YouTube. The more information it has on you, the less privacy you retain, and the more access it has to your personal life.
- You’re Caught in Their “filter bubble,” meaning you only see videos that Google thinks you want to view based on your search history and profile. The result is a large amount of high-quality content you may miss simply because the algorithm thinks it knows best.
- You’re Missing Out on a Ton of Content that’s available on other streaming sites. While there’s no doubt that YouTube may be the most popular platform, there are many other high-quality videos you’ll miss out on if you don’t broaden your horizons and check out alternative sites.
Do All Large Streaming Platforms Take Personal Information?
While it may seem tempting to stick to the larger streaming platforms like Hulu, Netflix, and, of course, YouTube, you will sacrifice privacy to use them. Although they are not as large as YouTube, some of the more popular sites collect your information and use it in a similar way. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the highest-quality YouTube alternatives you can use to stream engaging videos that take far less of your personal information while still delivering exciting content.
The Top YouTube Alternatives
1. Crackle
If you love watching movies and original TV shows, you won’t want to miss out on all the Crackle has to offer. Founded by non-other than Sony Picture Entertainment, it has a wide selection of blockbuster movies and popular shows; you’ll want to watch them again and again. Although it was founded by Sony, you can find videos from some of the top production houses in the business, including Tri-Star Pictures, Funimation Films, Columbia Pictures, and much more! Crackle is an excellent FREE alternative to YouTube Red, YouTube’s paid subscription service, which features original movies for $11.99 per month or $119.00 per year!
2. Vimeo
If you’re looking for a platform geared toward content creators, Vimeo is for you! Known as one of the top spaces for the creative mind, it is a gathering ground for ad agencies, musicians, photographers, and those seeking to create high-quality content. While it’s not the best choice if you’re just looking for low-quality, funny videos, Vimeo is a go-to for those who appreciate cinematography and community-based streaming.
The superior interface puts YouTube to shame thanks to its 4K Ultra HD quality, which provides creators an outlet to earn money while doing what they love. The best part is the platform is completely ad-free and community-centric, offering an exciting space to follow other creators, share videos, comment, and link social media accounts!
3. TED
For those with a passion for learning, TED is an unbeatable knowledge-based platform. Known for its famous TED talks, this non-profit organization hosts hundreds of conferences around the globe on a variety of informative topics. The site is home to over three thousand talks that users can access for free, covering diverse topics from design and business to technology and global matters. TED is a go-to platform for anyone seeking to learn about new ideas or discover a unique way of thinking about the world around them.Â
4. DTube
When privacy matters but you don’t want to sacrifice the familiarity of YouTube, DTube has you covered. As a decentralized platform, DTube doesn’t use a single centralized server to stream and upload videos like YouTube, instead storing its content on blockchain, which allows it to protect its user’s privacy more effectively. In other words, DTube makes it nearly impossible for hackers to access your data and leak your personal information; now, that’s how streaming should be!
Additionally, the platform doesn’t use an algorithm recommendation or pump your content full of ads, it prioritizes free speech, which is accomplished by community content monitorization, and creators can earn revenue through cryptocurrency. With a similar interface to YouTube, DTube makes navigation easy for those familiar with the popular streaming service, making it easier than ever to make the switch.Â
5. Twitch
As a popular platform for gamers, Twitch enables users to upload a previous recording or host live broadcasts of their gameplay. While it is geared toward the gaming community, Twitch has quickly risen in popularity due to its strong community that doubles as a social media network and allows users to interact and share game recommendations and tips. If you enjoy live streaming, you will love all that Twitch has to offer.Â
6. Internet Archives Movie Archive
You’ve probably heard that anything you put on the internet stays there forever, and that’s in part to the massive internet archive which stores virtually every video that has ever been posted. This site is an excellent place to find videos, documentaries, and movies you can’t find anywhere else, allowing you to search by subject, year, topic, and language. It’s a great place to go when trying to find specific content for studying or researching, and you can even upload your own videos directly to the site.Â
7. Vevo
Vevo is a great YouTube alternative for those who enjoy watching music videos, thanks to its impressively large amount of quality videos from both Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. All the videos are grouped by the artist for easy navigation, and you can find everything from classic “oldies” to all of the latest hits. There are over 500,000 music videos available, with more added daily, so be sure to check out everything your favorite artists have to offer.Â
8. Metacafe
Metacafe is one of the oldest streaming sites, even outdating youTube. While the videos are generally lower quality, there are thousands of how-to’s, funny videos, product reviews, and more. One of the biggest advantages of Metacafe is there are no duplicate videos, so you never have to filter through the same content released by different creators. All the videos are categorized into either TV and news, entertainment, movies, sports, or video games, making the site easy to navigate, and users can view playlists and subscribe to channels just like on YouTube.Â
9. Dailymotion
Dailymotion is one of YouTube’s largest competitors, attracting over 112 million viewers every month. While videos can only be up to twenty minutes in length, users often say it’s the best YouTube alternative thanks to the high-quality uploads (4GB 1080P), which it doesn’t compress, unlike the majority of similar content on YouTube. Additionally, Dailymotion’s layout is similar to the mega streaming site; it has an excellent interface, identical content categories, and an easy-to-use search bar, all of which contribute to the platform’s growing popularity.
10. 9GAG TV
Social media users can’t get enough of 9GAG TV thanks to its short, funny videos. The platform is especially popular with Twitter and Facebook users thanks to the many memes, GIFs, and photos it allows them to share with their followers and friends. All of the content is clearly categorized, making it easy to use and find the content you’re looking for with one click.Â
Conclusion
While there’s no doubt that YouTube is the largest streaming network in the world, the platform is known for collecting users’ data and sharing personal information. Many people are making the decision to leave the site in favor of safer, more confidential alternatives that provide similar streaming experiences without sacrificing privacy. If you’re tired of Google storing you’re information and sharing it with third-party marketers, be sure to check out the popular YouTube alternative sites above!Â
