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I actually researched writing a proxy that would intercept and rewrite Youtube's JSON API responses with pre-selected, educational videos. This is how much I h
by aantix 3y ago
I actually researched writing a proxy that would intercept and rewrite Youtube's JSON API responses with pre-selected, educational videos. This is how much I hate their recommendation algorithm.
That way, the Youtube app appears to work the same. It's just that those videos that are blacklisted in the recommendation response, e.g. all the videos with the word 'minecraft' in the title, would be replaced with Youtube shorts from Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Intercept the response. Rewrite the <title> and <URL> entries for blacklisted videos. Return the rewritten response to the client.
Point my kids's iPads at this proxy.
YouTube's app uses certificate pinning. I would have had to reverse-engineer their certificates in order to properly sign the response.
I stopped at that point in the project.
- basil-rash 3y agoFWIW if you embed the youtube player on your own site you can point it to any video you want, and control all the recommendations you display alongside it. As a happy bonus, ads don't play on embedded viewers.
- heeen2 3y agoHave you considered YT kids?
- aantix 3y agoStill has the same issue. If someone watches one Blue's Clues video, ten more are recommended afterwards. I want a more diverse set of recommendations from a smaller set of educational channels. And I want to filter entirely by keyword. Disabling individual channels for something like 'Minecraft' content is futile.
- actionfromafar 3y agoHave you considered SatanTube™ kids?
- verisimi 3y agoYou prefer Neil deGrasse Tyson to Minecraft for your kids?
- aantix 3y agoThis might be a good idea for a SaaS. A proxy-as-a-service that allows you to interject alternative recommendations for your kids to watch. Allow the parents to whitelist certain channels. Blacklist specific keywords - 'minecraft', 'fortnite', 'mrbeast'.