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https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions is my Youtube bookmark. It's just who I'm subscribed to. That's it.
I just wanted to mention, because apparently only ~7% of us exist who use the Subscriptions feed, according to various Youtubers showing off their stats pages.
Its impossible for me to subscribe to a youtuber because I don't have (and don't want) a Youtube account. I understand Youtubers get more visibility with more subscriptions, but I just don't want to be part of the algorithm. I can close my private browser, and any algorithm infection is wiped clean from my view.
Depending on your setup, YouTube will still fingerprint your browser and track your behavior, as is common practice with ad networks.
Your cookies and data might be cleared but as long as yt has any way to generate a unique identifier out of your browser preferences, it will identify you and start looking at your behavior / figuring out an algorithm.
Just fyi.
Sure, it can start building it again just with what I search to watch. Then I get to close the browser again and wipe it clean again. I know that fingerprinting exists, but I'm not seeing its behavior for video suggestions. In fact, I do see tracking by IP because I'll get suggested things I know my wife is looking at (and we're coming from the same IP). Even those are few and far between though.
I've thoroughly tested this and after a browser clear, I see literally zero recommendations that match my browsing habits. And this was tested without a vpn, so same IP. I've tested it on default chrome/edge. Also on tweaked firefox/librewolf, and on the YouTube app for LG webos. So yea, this is false. Idk why you're seeing stuff your wife watches. Are you logged in with an account? If not then you're not actually clearing the browser like you think you are. Unless you're somehow more fingerprintable than me, just based on IP. But idk why that would be the case.
I'm not sure how you can speak with such authority when your sample size is so small. I believe you that you didn't experience this in any of your tests. However, your tests are far from exhaustive.
I'm not saying I'm getting a screen full of suggestions of only things she likes, but I also don't believe it is simply coincidence I get occasional suggested video guides on using the exact brand of makeup she likes.
Never have and never will.
Well all I can say is i tested it every single way i know how. Also just tested on mobile, both iphone and android. Same result. So idk what you want from me? I don't think it's far fetched to assume that your wife likely uses a pretty popular brand of makeup. You're probably not getting carryover ads. Just coincidence. Makeup videos seem like a pretty standard default youtube suggestion.
I would strongly recommend using a VPN and changing servers regularly in that case.
I don't think this is true. Every time i reset the app on my tv, i see zero recommends that would fit my browsing history. Also I've tested it on 3 browsers (including default Chrome and edge) after clearing everything and it is default. Nothing i see recommended fits my history. So yea, no, this is not true. I'm sure they try to fingerprint but it doesn't seem to work well or it's just not sophisticated enough to track it through a browser/app clear. I'm not even using a VPN when i tested this.
RSS.
Every channel has an RSS feed. I use that instead.
piped.30p87.de
And all other piped/invidious instances. You can sub locally, and everything is stored as a cookie in your browser (afaik).
You can download newpipe and subscribe there. It makes a local subscription, no account needed. Also no ads.
That's fine, I'm not tempted by the sidebars to partake in the algo at all because I've removed them with extensions. Without an account, yeah then I'd be using NewPipe and whatever desktop equivalents are surely out there.