Bug: Youtube / Google knows who we are on Grayjay without being logged into? They've linked my Grayjay usage over proton VPN with my real IP youtube.com account??

[dimyself]

Reproduction steps

Ok, there may not be anything that can be done to fix this.

If anyone has any ideas / suggestions, please let me know!

Some context... I've never logged into youtube via grayjay, nor do i have any google apps installed (grapheneOS with nothing google running). Also...I barely open my real youtube account, and barely comment. I open the real youtube like once every 6 months, and rarely comment

I just watched a short 5min video on grayjay mobile over proton vpn IP by an unpopular channel that i'm subscribed to on grayjay.

I wanted to comment on the video, so I load up youtube.com on my desktop linux computer WITHOUT any vpn... And what do I see?

The very first video recommendation is the one I just watched on mobile grayjay over VPN that I wanted to comment on!

I opened youtube on my computer right after watching the video on mobile GJ.

It seems like somehow they have linked my grayjay usage over VPN (ONLY use grayjay on proton vpn) with my real IP google account

How can they know I was watching that particular video just now?

Mind you... this video only has 56 views.

I am subscribed to this person on my youtube account, but never use youtube.com in a browser or app and never comment. I'm also subbed to hundreds of people.

I don't think its coincidence though?

I hope this makes sense.

Sorry to bring more traffic to the issues section, I just want to understand whats going on by people who know more than I do about this. It kind of freaked me out to see it as the very 1st video recommended on my youtube account

I know there are people here who visit their youtube.com account more than i do... Have you noticed any similar coincidental recommendations??

Thanks1!

Actual result

Also, this isn't really the first time I've seen this. I've seen similar things in the past recommended by youtube, but not so blatant as this.

I should also point out...I barely open my youtube account, and barely comment. I open the real youtube like once every 6 months, and rarely comment

Expected result

I thought grayjay without a logged in account would mask my real identity from google / youtube?

I know there are people here who visit their youtube.com account more than i do... Have you noticed any similar coincidental recommendations??

Grayjay Version

363

What plugins are you seeing the problem on?

YouTube

Plugin Version

312

Which android version are you using?

16

Which device are you using?

Pixel 6 pro

Which operating system are you using?

grapheneOS

When do you experience the issue?

• While logged in
• While logged out
• N/A

Are you using a VPN?

Yes

References

No response

Relevant log output

[Zvonimir-FUTO]

Did you watch that creator on your PC before? This sounds like Youtube just recommending the same video to you based on fingerprinting the browser and IP address.

Regardless if you watched it on the Grayjay with VPN that video would probably be recommended to you.

[MikeL270]

I am subscribed to this person on my YouTube account

If you're subscribed to the creator with your real YouTube its really not a surprise their videos appeared in your recommendations. You aren't being spied on, you volunteered the fact that you're interested in the channel by subscribing to it. YouTube uses a very advanced recommendations algorithm that takes into account channels you're subscribed to as well as channels you watch.

I thought grayjay without a logged in account would mask my real identity from google / youtube?

This is partially true, YouTube probably doesn't know your account and your grayjay activity are the same person, but because you have behaved similarly on both you end up getting similar recommendations. This is a well documented phenomenon, you can access YouTube via TOR from the public library and in a couple videos you will start to see familiar channels in your recommendations.

Don't worry, Google is most likely not tracking you down. They just built a really good recommendations algorithm.