Hey all I want to make a private google account and I don’t know how. I’m unable to make one I think the issue is mullvad vpn but I don’t want to register an account without it for obvious reasons. I’m using simple login and fake information to help cover all my bases. My browser is brave and the OS is fedora if that even matters, I’m also not sure if this whole endeavor is pointless. I want to create a youtube channel and create content but I feel paralyzed from every direction. If I’m gonna have my IRL name does privacy even matter? Or does google not associate the channels content with the information they have for that account on their database? Idk! This whole thing is really really confusing and I consider myself a tech inclined person hopefully one of yall can shed some light on this situation. Thanks. If you’re a youtuber please respond with your wisdom!
I haven’t had a youtube channel myself , but i am guessing from other youtubers experience google will ask for your phone number at some point and ask to verify identity through some means. Also if you want monetization you will give out financial info to them as well.
You could make a pseudonymous google account but don’t expect it to be totally non-traceable back to you.
Ofcourse use Ublock-origin to get rid of remaining google fingerprinting and deleted cookies between sessions.
Fair point regarding the financial info if I’m going down that route I think I would be public about my identity from the jump. But moving past that and assuming I get paid through an external source lets say monero donations. Is a private google account still possible I believe I do need a phone number during account creation. VOIP numbers don’t work also they cost a ton of money.
google may still ask for a phone number later if not on sign up to “verify” . It has happened to me once that google suddenly asked me for a phone number on an account i didn’t link any number to on sign in. So beware of that.
Maybe you have to purchase a number specifically for this purpose.
YouTube accounts are not automatically able to create a channel/upload, and if you create the account using a VPN, anonymous emails service, fake personal information, and an anonymous phone number, I pretty sure you are going to get flagged during the account creation process.
You are pretty much doing everything you can to make it look like you want to do something illegal.
What you are doing is a clear TOS violation, if someone from Google/YouTube at any point looks at your account, or you fail automated checks, you could lose the channel.
You don’t have to be a criminal to value privacy shakes fist. This reply is really bizarre to me lots of people talk about making an anonymous account so why would my account suddenly get banned? I’m sure The Hated One has an anon account and why login over tor just to use your personal info? It sounds like you’re saying its impossible to make a private google account. This goes against advice I’ve heard on reddit and this forum. Why would they talk about making an anonymous account if they knew google bans accounts this would make their efforts futile. If you have the time please link a citation or an image from TOS so I can read it. I’m very interested in continuing this dialogue.
I think most of us enjoy YouTube with out an account, my preference is NewPipe.
If I was going to spend a large amount of time on YouTube commenting and uploading content which respected my privacy I would probably use a cheap device over public Wi-Fi with the fake credentials your familiar with.
Logging on to that account with a secure device after creation of said account would seem to not throw up red flags.
I used a Walmart gift card which had a small balance on GooglePlay and purchased a MySudo number. So depending on your account history modifying an account may be an option as well. I use an old google phone to access that account. The MySudo number is the recovery number now…
Does MySudo work for you it hasn’t worked for me they know its a VOIP number most of the time. And newpipe isn’t an option I’m looking to upload. If MySudo subscription expires doesn’t that mean you lose access to your account? If google asks for a verification text I think you would have to login to google to pay for mysudo again which is impossible because you don’t have access to that number. Public wifi is interesting, that is readily accessible to me but does that really help? I suppose they don’t know exactly where I live but how far do I need to be from my home? I also don’t understand why I would use another device what am I defending myself against exactly. If I have a crappy windows laptop vs my new one they are the same OS? How is the fingerprint any different?
I guess you only violate the TOS if you are impersonating.
If that is the case then that’s a relief but @OrwellianDenigrate I have been banned off eBay for using Mullvad VPN so what your describing isn’t unheard of that’s why I’m asking. It’s possible you are correct.
They changed the TOS, the older version was specific about providing information
4.1 In order to access some features of the Website or other elements of the Service, you will have to create a YouTube account. When creating your account, you must provide accurate and complete information. It is important that you must keep your YouTube account password secure and confidential.
https://www.youtube.com/t/terms?archive=20190122&gl=GB
They might still be hiding that clause somewhere in their legal terms.
MySudo worked for a recovery number deleted the original number. MySudo is like $9.99 a year paid with the anonymous Walmart card.
Understand the limitation of NewPipe. Just saying you can read your comments and post replies later.
I would make a one time payment annually, getting a different number once a year. You would set this up before you loose access to this account. This is no different with any phone plan.
The intent of using a separate device on a isolated network is to isolate your aliases.
Understand that if you only used your neighbors wi-fi to do very specific YouTube work on a computer you never use for anything else, google will know that, your neighbor uses that laptop to upload to you tube under that name. If there is no association to you then whats the problem. Go further out if you want.
Pay someone to upload the video from another country with your credentials if you want.
The TOS are an excuse not a reason for action.
BTW I posted here on how I created a PayPal account anonymously in this forum.
Yeah maybe interesting find I might make a temp google account and test it to see if I get banned on YT.
My main goal is to have the account without personal info but I will be posting videos including my name if that defeats the purpose I don’t mind. Sounds like the separate device is for OpSec I don’t understand how google would “know” I hear this term thrown around a lot. Google isn’t using some alien device to track us its the internet its binary we should have a loose idea of how google tracks us. I want specifics if you can provide any it would be a great help.
The term “know” is related to traceability. Google knows your SMS verification number because you can log on and see they know. They know every number you provided and deleted even if you can not verify they kept your records.
Google knows your youtube activity even if you turn off your youtube history. They know.
Still don’t see how this issue would be remedied by using a separate device sounds useless. Also you need either an apple or google account to pay for MySudo which both need a phone number. If MySudo accepted Monero then hey thats neat but this is not a complete solution. I would have 2 google accounts one for google play and the other for youtube I want no google account to have my number. Google might link the accounts together due to finding similar data on both accounts and make all my efforts useless too. Thanks for the help thus far @Perk1ns but I’m interested in a technical explanation and I don’t feel like you can provide that no offense.
No problem, just letting you know how I would from do this with actual experience.
Acquire a number that Google will allow you to create an account, swap it to a MySudo or similar number. Isolate all activities away from my real life…
You could also consider using services like Mint Mobile to get a cheap phone number on a simple plan that’s just for the purposes of using for the Google account, assuming it comes up.
Regarding your personal identity, whatever information you share publicly on the channel should probably be fine to give to Google. The threat from Google is just in knowing they are so privacy invasive, but I think the bigger threat is from your audience knowing details about you as that can facilitate online harassment and doxxing. I would consider using something else as a stage name like the Hated One, but that’s a different topic.
As others have said, I think the biggest link to your personal identity would be any financial information you give in order to receive payments. In this respect, you can turn off monetization and try to grow exclusively from outside sources like Patreon or Monero. Another option could be to try to form an LLC and see if a bank account you make under can be accepted by YouTube. The last option could be to just bite the bullet and provide your financial details so you can get paid. Think of Google as a bank. Limit the activity from that Google account to just managing the channel and the payments and leave it at that. At least, that’s what comes to my mind as options.
Otherwise, I think you’re on your way to have a pretty private account.
I like your response but I’m going to ask questions because your advice is not clear to me.
I think mint mobile doesn’t offer recurring subscription plans you have to pay for 3 months or a year then buy another one at the end of its lifetime. Maybe that’s what you mean idk. Let’s say I go to my retail store buy a sim kit for 3 months and what then. Do I have to buy a new phone far from my home and come without my own phone. Then put the sim card in the new phone and login with my laptop? I heard IMEI blah blah forces you to do that I’m aware that its a number for your phone. But how does a brand new sim get associated with my old one? How would google even know I’m in possession of two phones is my old phone yelling in the same place that my new one is and they slowly get associated together because the information is public? If that’s really the case that’s too much effort for me. A fake name, random password, alias email that’s possible I know it but I don’t think a VPN works. Google disallows me from creating an account with mullvad on. The only solution I’m aware of is creating an account on public wifi then returning home with the VPN on. Assuming my account is not banned this would be pointless google would have logged the public IP. Google may see I use English and guess I’m American then use that public IP to narrow down my state. It would be able to see that I’m using a VPN from mullvad and disregard it since no one lives at mullvad headquarters and previous data doesn’t line up. It’s possible google might not notice if I travel considering my location will say Sweden or Germany always but that’s insignificant. I doubt google bans VPNs a bunch of people might use them to view content that is geoblocked but I’m not 100% sure.
I will worry about my personal security later but for now google is my nemeses.
Is it really pointless to put fake info when I mention my IRL name? I don’t think so if I say everyday my name is Robert google wont go “Hey we changed your google account First name to Robert” I don’t think they watch your vids to find your identity. If I’m private at account creation I should be solid. I’ll worry about monetization if the time ever comes. I would like to join YT so I can be popular and have a voice people listen to I plan on revealing personal info like a streamer or youtuber. I want to able to ask Henry his advice on things not as a viewer but as an equal. I want to be able to contact any youtuber I want I just think that would be really cool.
I wish you success with the content creation, you already mentioned you can create an account which Google will accept. Mint has been suggested as an option. Yes the minimum plan is $5 a month, which you might want to retain as you will need to use an SMS verification at one time or another.
I mentioned MySudo as a $1 a month option after an account creation. I have tested this on my accounts and so can you.
I work 12 hours a day every day so forgive my lack of explanation.
I am interested if you find something that works better for less money than $10 a year.