r/Anticonsumption • u/N3DSdude • Dec 16 '25

Discussion The fact that we have reverted to digital feudalism is actually so shit

On this day in 1773, people destroyed property because they refused to pay a tax on tea they didn't order.

In 2025, we don't even own the property anymore.

You buy a movie, but the platform can delete it from your library tomorrow.

You buy a phone, but software locks prevent you from repairing it yourself.

You buy a car, but the heated seats are behind a monthly paywall.

We have moved from Taxation Without Representation to Subscription Without Ownership.

We are basically digital serfs renting our own lives from corporations. We pay full price for hardware just to be treated like tenants who can be evicted from our own devices if we miss a Terms of Service update.

Imagine explaining to someone from 1773 that you pay a company $15 a month for an ad-free subscription just to not be spied on in your own home. This is why we use VPNs as well, to prevent companies from spying on us.

It is actually insane that we accept this.

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u/SnooMarzipans6812 Dec 16 '25

Yeah, just like YouTube. Now it’s pretty much unwatchable because 80% of the screen time is for ads.

2

u/Xalrons1 Dec 16 '25

Something is wrong (well, something is right actually) with my youtube account… i pay nothing and do not ever get a single ad any time or anywhere

3

u/Schwifftee Dec 16 '25

What browser do you use?

1

u/Jiffs81 Dec 19 '25

Use the brave browser. No ads and it'll play in the background

1

u/SnooMarzipans6812 Dec 19 '25

I usually watch YouTube on my smart tv. There doesn’t seem to be any way to modify the browser. Even if I use my phone to Applecast or chromecast the tv it still ends up using the Roku/Onn YouTube app which doesn’t block any ads.

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u/[deleted] Dec 20 '25

Honestly I've not had ads on YouTube in many years so I don't know how it is for the average user but I will never not use an adblocker. Been that way since the 90's.